Dawn of Arcadia
by Sovereign64
Summary: The fight against Acnologia is over and peace is restored to Earth Land. But now, Team Natsu has received a new mission from the Magic Council to help a mysterious man who has lost his memories, and ends up plunging them into a brand new adventure to save their world.
1. A New Adventure, Part 1

**Sovereign: Hello everyone! Welcome to my latest story! Now I know what you are thinking, aren't you also working on another Fairy Tail story called Our Amazing Guild? Well, unfortunately, I've decided to cancel it, mainly because I didn't like where that story is going and I've lost motivation to continue writing it along the way. That is why I've decided to restart my Fairy Tail story and hopefully, this will be the last time I'll ever do such a thing.**

 **I hope you all enjoy my newest story!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. And I don't own Sheena Fujibayashi, Bandai Namco does.**

 **Finally, very special thanks to _Iceiclesified/Iceikory_ for drawing the cover artwork for my story! Check out her Facebook at **_**www dot facebook dot com/iceiclesified/**_ **,** **her Twitter at** ** _twitter dot com/iceiclesified_ and her Instagram at _www dot instagram dot com/iceikory/?hl=en_!**

* * *

 _ **Dawn of Arcadia**_

 _ **A New Adventure, Part 1**_

A gentle wind blowing across his face. Rays of light shining onto his eyelids. And his hand placed over a red scabbard.

These are the first things a man with messy black hair noticed when he woke up from his sleep. He groans as he slowly rose up from his bed and removes the sheets. Noticing that his vision is groggy, the man proceeds to rub his eyes. But after giving a few rubs, the man lowers his hands and notices the tears on his fingers. He sighs before wiping off the tears that are still brimming in his eyes.

"The same dream…again…" He murmured.

The man turns his head to the drawer beside him and picks up a pair of glasses. After cleaning the lenses of his glasses with his white shirt, he puts them on and lets out a heavy yawn. He turns around and prepares to get out of-

"Ohayo!"

"AAHHH!" The man yelled in surprise as he fell back down on his bed. With his eyes widened, all traces of his drowsiness disappeared in an instant. As he lifts himself up from his bed once more, the man adjusts his glasses to see a familiar brown-eyed woman leaning forward and gazing back at him with her hands placed at the sides of her hip and a warm smile plastered across her face. Her black hair is tied to a messy ponytail by a pink ribbon and she is dressed in light violet robes with a white tube top underneath, a pink sash, black pants and light violet boots. The woman gave Darren a lopsided smirk as she watches her dumbfounded friend in amusement.

After silently staring at her…assets for a few moments, Darren murmured as he sheepishly turns his head away from her, "Ohayo, Sheena."

"Rise and shine, kiddo." Sheena said, standing up straight. "It's time to go to work."

* * *

Sheena hums merrily to herself as she leans against the wall of their apartment building, waiting for Darren to get ready for another day of work. A few moments later, the door beside her opened, revealing her friend who is now dressed in a sleeveless black jacket with a white tank top underneath, a silver cross necklace around his neck, black gloves with silver plating, blue jeans, two black belts with silver buckles strapped around his waist, black kneepads and black boots.

After closing the door behind him, Darren nodded to Sheena and the two stroll their way through the town of Underwood.

Located at the eastern edge of Fiore, Underwood is a border town that was more remote than any other city and town in the country. It is small but lively. Most of the buildings are two-floor apartments and along the road is a huge marketplace where several people are walking through the area and standing around the stalls, examining the items that are on sale. Some of the merchants sat under the awnings of their stalls while others are shouting and encouraging any potential customers to buy whatever they are selling. Further south of the town was a cluster of mountains, located along the borders of Fiore and Bosco, its neighboring country.

"Good morning Darren and Sheena!" One of the merchants greeted as she spots Darren and Sheena passing by her stall.

"Hello Mickey!" Darren replied, smiling warmly at the merchant as he and Sheena turn to her.

"Ohayo Chickentiger-san!" Sheena said, bowing her head. A small bird on Mickey Chickentiger's head chirped at the two. Sheena chuckled. "Ohayo Pii-chan."

"Hey Pii-chan." Darren said, waving his hand at the bird. "How's business lately, Mickey?"

"It's alright, I guess." Mickey shrugged. She looks down at the products that she displayed at the front of her stall. The products are mostly combat gloves, bandages and a couple of weapons. "I just wish more people who are interested in magic and hand-to-hand combat would often come to this town so that they can check out what products I have for sale."

"Why not try selling them at a bigger city like Magnolia? They attract a lot of mages, so I'm sure your business will do better there." Sheena implied.

"Funny you mention that place." Mickey said, scratching her chin. "Pii-chan and I were originally from Magnolia. But while I don't wish to talk much about it, let's say some bad things happen to me over there and that's what made me left. I never return there ever since."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Darren said apologetically.

"Nah, it's alright." Mickey reassured him with a smile.

"Do you ever think about how things are doing back in Magnolia right now?" Darren asked.

"Aside knowing that the town was invaded 2 years ago, sometimes." Mickey said.

"And you gotta have a reason to revisit your past." Sheena said flatly to Darren.

"For me, I wish I know how I got here in the first place." Darren said to her. There was a moment of awkward silence between the two and Mickey. The merchant took the moment to contemplate what Darren and Sheena had just said before finally breaking the silence.

"Now then, are you two just going to stand around or head to work?" Mickey asked.

"Oh right!" Darren realized aloud. "Come on, Sheena. Let's go!"

"Hai." Sheena responded.

"Bye Mickey! Bye Pii-chan!" Darren said as he and Sheena wave goodbye to Mickey and her bird.

"Take care of yourselves!" Mickey said to them as she waves her hand back. Pii-chan chirps in response.

* * *

Despite still being rather early in the morning, the town's restaurant is already filled with many customers. Most of them came to have their breakfast while others are also sitting around and drinking away the morning.

"Thank you very much. Please wait patiently for your order to arrive." Darren said as he writes down the orders on a notepad. He turns around, walks away from the table and goes into the kitchen.

While there is certainly life and joy erupting in the dining area, there is a completely different atmosphere happening in the kitchen. The cooks are busy walking around and standing at the stoves, preparing the food for the customers and filling up the workplace with a mixture of steam, smoke and various aromas arising from their cooking and the ingredients.

"Orders for table 15." Darren said as he tears out the page from the notepad and hands it to a tall and overweight bald man dressed in a white hat, a white apron with a purple shirt and tan pants underneath it and brown shoes. The man snatches it from Darren's hand and glares at him.

"Got it." The man said flatly. "And Darren?"

"Yes, Mr. Maroro?" Darren asked with a nervous frown.

"I'm docking your pay again."

"What? Why?" Darren asked incredulously.

"You um…been showing up late to work recently."

"But I have always been coming here few minutes before-"

"Are you going to make excuses or get back out there and fill up the customers' orders?!"

Seeing the scowl on Maroro's face, Darren flinched and sighed inwardly. "Understood, sir." He mumbled.

"Get back to work." Maroro muttered before turning around and walking back to his workstation.

Darren turns around and heads to the door. As he opens it, a waiter comes in while carrying a pile of dirtied plates. Darren moves out of the way to allow him to enter. The waiter walks over to the sinks where Sheena is standing behind and places the plates at the side. Without a word, the waiter walks away, causing Sheena to pout and folds her arms.

"Sheena, we need these dishes cleaned up." Sheena said to herself as she rolls her eyes back. She grins and bows down. "Thank you very much for your help."

"You're welcome." Darren added, smiling at her. Sheena chuckled at him as she stood up. She turns to the sinks and return to cleaning the dishes.

As Darren reenters the dining area, the entrance to the restaurant opened. He looks up and sees four figures entering the place.

"Ah! I am so happy we finally found a good place to eat and relax after an entire week of travelling!" One of them cried in relief with a huge grin on his face. He is a lean and muscular young man with pink spiky hair, black eyes and wears a white scarf around his neck, a sleeveless black jacket, a black wristband around his left wrist, a brown belt with a silver round buckle, a black waistcoat, white pants, and black sandals.

"Aye!" A small anthropomorphic blue cat with large white wings on his back said in agreement as he walks alongside the man.

"I gotta agree with Natsu and Happy. My feet are killing me." A young woman who walked alongside the man said, slouching over with her arms drooped at her sides. She has long blonde hair, tied to a side ponytail by a blue ribbon, chocolate brown eyes and wears a sleeveless white shirt with blue outlines and a large horizontal blue stripe across the top section, a blue skirt, a brown belt and black boots. Attached onto the belt is a ring of gold and silver keys and a black whip.

"You guys should be more like Gray, Wendy and Carla. While they are still out in town stocking up our supplies and continuing our search, you guys are already out of energy shortly after our arrival." Another young woman chided the three. She has brown eyes, long dark red hair and dressed in a sleeveless white blouse, a blue ribbon around the collar, a blue skirt and black boots.

"Well, you know me. The flames inside me are constantly burning my calories away." Natsu grinned as he places his hand on his abdomen.

"I still feel gross just hearing that." The blonde-haired woman moaned.

As the four go over to an empty table and take their seats, Darren looks around and sees the other patrons in the restaurant talking to each other as they glance at the newest visitors. He can tell that just by their presence alone, they had already garnered a lot of attention.

"Hey!" Darren yelped as a waiter places his hand on his shoulder. "Don't just there. Give them their menus and take their order."

Darren dumbly nods his head as the waiters hands him a few menus. "Sorry, it's just that these four are quite…popular." Darren said.

"Of course they are. They're Fairy Tail, the number 1 guild in all of Fiore. Who has not heard of them?" The waiter said. Darren silently stares back at him for a few seconds before the waiter snorted. "Seriously? Do you live in a well or something? Now go attend to them!"

Darren nods his head again before he and the waiter went their separate ways. Darren walks over to the four and hands them the menus.

"Welcome to Salziger Spitoon. We hope you will find what you would like to eat here." Darren greeted them.

"Thank you very much." The red-haired woman smiled at Darren. She turns to Natsu who stares at Darren for a moment before a smirk takes form on his face. He opens the menu and looks down at it.

"We should order food for Gray, Wendy and Carla too while they are still outside." The blonde-haired woman said.

"Good idea Lucy. I bet Gray just wants something cold again." Natsu said.

"Haha, very funny."

"Huh?" Natsu turns around and to his surprise; he sees a muscular young man with dark blue eyes, messy black hair and is only dressed in a silver cross necklace around his neck, a silver bracelet around his right wrist, a light brown belt with a silver buckle, dark green pants and black boots. "Gray, what the hell are you doing here?!"

"What does it look like, charcoal-for-a-brain?" Gray replied, arching a brow in annoyance at Natsu. "Wendy, Carla and I are here to join you for breakfast."

"You take that back, ice breath!" Natsu snapped as he gets up and jabs an accusing finger at Gray's chest. As the two boys growled menacingly at each other, Lucy and Erza shake their heads.

"How goes the search?" The red-haired woman asked two other figures standing beside Gray. One of them is a small girl with brown eyes and long dark blue hair, tied to two ponytails with red ribbons. She is dressed in a sleeveless dark green dress, gold bands around her upper arms and dark red sandals. The other is a small anthropomorphic white cat with eyelashes and large white wings on her back. She is dressed in a yellow long-sleeved blouse with a pink ribbon around its collar, a dark red skirt and another pink ribbon wrapped around the end of her tail.

"Sorry Erza." The blue-haired girl said apologetically as she shakes her head. "I couldn't detect the one we are looking for at the marketplace."

"It may take a while. But at least we know he is somewhere in this town." The white cat said.

"It's alright, Wendy and Carla." The red-haired woman, now known as Erza, said. As Natsu and Gray continue arguing with each other, Erza narrows her eyes as she turns to them and slams her fist on the table.

"IF YOU TWO DON'T QUIET DOWN, I WILL BEAT YOU TWO TO A BLOODY PULP!" Erza suddenly roared, causing everyone present in the dining area including Natsu, Gray and Darren to yelp.

Natsu and Gray tremble in fear as they slowly get into their seats. Wendy and Carla also sat down along with the rest of the group.

Lucy sighs heavily and turns to Darren who is still standing at their table, looking shell-shocked. "We're so sorry for the commotion, sir. These things happen to us all the time." She said apologetically.

"I-I-I-It's okay…" Darren struggled to say as he shook. "I am still waiting for your orders though."

"Right." Lucy said as she looks back at the menu. "I'll have bacons and eggs."

"I'll have a beef burger and fries, please!" Natsu said to Darren with a grin.

"I'll take pancakes with butter and maple syrup." Erza smiled at Darren.

"Scrambled eggs." Gray simply said with a nod of his head.

"I want waffles." Wendy said.

"Salmon!" Happy shouted cheerfully.

"What he said." Carla shrugged.

Darren wrote down their orders on his notepad before looking back at them. "Alright, please wait patiently for your food to arrive. Thank you very much for choosing Salziger Spitoon." He bowed to them before he grabs the menus, turns around and hurriedly walks back to the kitchen.

As the guild watched him depart, Erza narrows her eyes and turns to Natsu. "Natsu, are you sure it is him?" She asked solemnly.

Natsu nods his head in response. "Aye."

* * *

The rest of the morning was rather uneventful for Sheena and Darren. They continued working normally for hours until it is time for their afternoon break. They leave the restaurant and head to the apartment building at the other side. Sheena and Darren manage to climb up to the rooftop thanks to their skills, sat down and each ate a loaf of bread. They spent the rest of their break time conversing with each other.

"UGH! It's so obvious that he's using your hard-earned money to gamble again! That filthy pig." Sheena said irritably, gritting her teeth.

"I felt the same way..." Darren's eyes softened. "But then again, where else can we go if we lose this job?"

Sheena sighs heavily before turning to Darren. "By the way, you were at the dining area at the time. What was that loud yell earlier?" She inquired.

"Oh well, it came from a guild that visited the restaurant this morning. If I remember correctly, they're called Fairy Tail." Darren explained. He still couldn't believe that he had just met the members of Fairy Tail this morning. Sheena had told him before that guilds are groups formed by mages which they can join and work together to earn money by accepting requests from civilians and government officials throughout the country. But he never thought of meeting the most powerful guild of them all today.

"I see." Sheena narrows her eyes.

"Is it true they are the number 1 guild in Fiore?" Darren asked.

Sheena lies down on the rooftop with a hand placed on the back of her head. A wide smile takes form on her face as she replied, "Yup, everybody knows that, including me."

"You told me about guilds but you never told me about Fairy Tail. Why?" Darren asked.

"Because I never wanted to." Sheena said bluntly.

"Why not?" Darren asked.

"Sheesh. Being awfully curious today huh?" Sheena arches a brow at him. She gets back up in a sitting position and replied, "Well, no matter what, I don't want you to get too interested in joining a guild. Sure it sounds fun, but you gotta remember. Only mages can form or join a guild. But you don't have any magic inside you at all."

"That's true." Darren said, lowering his head.

"Fortunately, thanks to my training, you know how to do sword fighting with that katana of yours. That alone is already enough to help you survive out here. Right?" Sheena asked.

"Yeah." Darren responded.

"You still don't remember how you got here, don't you?" Sheena asked.

"No. I don't. I also still don't understand why I'm seemingly the only person here who doesn't have magic." Darren said.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure your memories will come back." Sheena said before placing her hand on his shoulder. "Things always come naturally, don't they?"

Darren turns to Sheena and smiled at her. "I'm glad to have you around, Sheena." He said.

Sheena responded with a wan smile, "Me too."

* * *

Darren and Sheena leave the restaurant after a long day of work. By the time they had finished work, it was already 9:30 pm. The two sigh wearily as not only did Darren's payment get docked again, but also that they have little time for rest as soon as they return home and before another day of work comes again by sunrise.

When they arrive back at their apartment, Darren and Sheena took turns to use the bathroom to change into their nightclothes and brush their teeth. When they are done, they are ready to tuck themselves in for the night. Sheena follows Darren to his room and watches him lie down on his bed and gets under the blanket.

"Sleep well. Tomorrow's going to be another rough day, I'm sure." Sheena said as she stood at the doorway.

"You too." Darren replied.

Sheena gave him a final smile before she turns around and closes the door. Darren stares up at the ceiling and closes his eyelids. Before he knew it, he has fallen asleep.

* * *

Darren moans as he woke up, lying on a grassy field. His vision was groggy at first, but he managed to lift his head up and rubs his eyes. When his vision became clearer, Darren widens his eyes and adjusts his glasses. He gets up from the grass and stood up, looking around his surroundings in awe.

He realized that he is standing in the middle of a grassy field in a park. There are very few people strolling through the area and paid no attention to him. There are also several buildings that form a street in the distance and behind the metal fences that lined the boundaries of the park.

Darren snaps out of his thoughts when he felt a rubber ball gently knocked against his right leg. He turns his head and looks down. Sure enough, he sees the ball, but what also caught his eyes is a red scabbard in front of his feet. Shortly after picking up the ball, a small boy scampers over and Darren looked at him.

"That's my ball, sir." The boy said as he extends out his hands.

"Kid? Where am I?" Darren asked the boy.

"You don't know? You're in Underwood." The boy replied.

"Underwood?" Darren said dumbfounded.

"Yup. Now can I have my ball?" The boy asked. Darren nods his head before handing the ball over to the child. "Thank you!" The boy smiled at him before turning around and running off.

Darren looks back to his front, feeling perplexed as several questions began hatching inside his mind. Aside from the name of the place, he has no idea where he is and how he got here. Oh and why is there a scabbard in front of him too.

Looking back down at the scabbard, Darren picks it up and holds it firmly in his hand. He looks back up and begins walking his way to the town. Hopefully he will get some answers from the townspeople.

* * *

Darren looks around in awe as he strolls through the town. The place does look beautiful and each building is built differently and has its own personality from one another. He walks through the marketplace and sees the fruits, vegetables and other groceries that are displayed at the front of the food stalls. As he felt his stomach grumble, only did Darren now realize that he hadn't eaten anything ever since he first arrived to this strange place. While still holding onto the scabbard, Darren inserts his other hand into one of his pockets, but he couldn't feel anything. He inserts his hand into the other pocket, but-

While Darren was trying to find a single cent on him, he didn't look what was in front of him while he was walking and he accidentally bumps into someone's back. Darren looks up as he came to a halt. He widens his eyes as he sees a tall man standing in front of him. The man turns around and frowns at Darren in annoyance. He looks muscular has green spiky hair. Standing behind him are two other men, one's hair is straightened up to a pink Mohawk and the other has long blue hair, tied to a ponytail and wears sunglasses.

"Hey, do you even know where you are going?" The green-haired man muttered to Darren.

"I'm sorry, sir." Darren said apologetically to him.

"Pay up." The man gave a terse reply.

"Huh?" Darren said incredulously.

"Are you dumb? Pay up!" The man yelled furiously.

"But I don't have any-"

To his shock, Darren gets cut off when the man swings his fist, punching him across his left cheek. The other people in the marketplace saw this, but unfortunately none of them are brave enough to help Darren and stand against the three muscular men. All they could do is watch in fear and worry.

"In case you didn't know, we owned this town! And if you show disrespect to us, you have to pay for your actions in cash! NOW DO IT!" The man yelled again.

"I'm sorry, sir!" Darren cried, looking back at the man and trying to reason with him. "I really don't have any money with me and-"

The man responded by throwing a punch to Darren's gut. Darren gasped in pain before falling on his knees.

"You are really stubborn, you know that?!" The man barked at Darren. The other two thugs standing behind him chuckled. "Now pay up or else-"

"Whoa, whoa, guys. What's going on here?"

Darren and the three men turn their heads in confusion and see Sheena walking over to them with her hands placed at the back of her head.

"Huh?" Darren managed to choke out while still kneeling down on the floor in pain.

As Sheena places herself between Darren and the three men, she smirked at the green-haired man as she lowers her arms and places her hands at the sides of her hip.

"I overheard you saying that you owned this town? Give me a break." Sheena rolls her eyes. "With those silly hairstyles and the clothes you wear, you can't even intimidate a curily."

The three men grimaced at Sheena, infuriated by her comments.

"You got a lot of nerve, scum." The green-haired man said icily to Sheena as he clenches his fists. He yells as he swings his fist at Sheena. The woman simply dodges it by turning to the side. The man swings his other fist, trying to hit Sheena again. But the woman backs away to avoid his attack.

The woman gave him a mocking yawn, angering the man. The man swings his leg up, trying to give a massive kick to Sheena. However, Sheena moves to the side and wraps her arm around his leg. The man widens his eyes in shock before Sheena gave a twist to his leg.

"AAAAHHHH!" The man screams in agony as he fell to the ground. Sheena releases his now injured leg and the man clings onto it in huge amounts of pain.

"Why you…" The pink-haired man charges at Sheena and throws his fist at her. Sheena ducks down, turns around and grabs the man's arm. To his surprise, the man helplessly watched Sheena gets up, yanks his arm and tosses him over her shoulder. As the man slams onto the floor beside Darren and with a hard thud, Sheena stomps her foot onto his face.

The remaining man growls as he magically summons a metal pipe in his hand. Darren widens his eyes in shock and horror. Shock came from the fact that the man can magically summon an object in his hand and horror from the fact that he is about to attack the woman from behind.

As the blue-haired man yells and charges over to her, Sheena whirled about and swings her leg up.

 _ **THWACK!**_

The man cringed in pain and drops his pipe as Sheena's foot made contact with the bottom of his crotch. Sheena lowers it and throws her other leg at him, delivering a massive kick to his abdomen. The eyewitnesses quickly move aside as the kick sends the man sprawling through the floor.

Sheena lowers her leg and lets out a sigh of disappointment. She looks down at her fallen opponents, still lying on the ground in pain or in an unconscious state. She shakes her head and remarked, "Why do you guys even bother?"

As the people around them continue strolling through the marketplace as if they hadn't seen anything, Sheena began to make her departure.

"Wait!" Darren cried to her. Sheena stopped and turns her head to him. As his pain had faded away, Darren gets up from the floor and nods his head. "Thank you."

"Nah, you don't need to thank me. I was just bored and looking for people to bother." Sheena said nonchalantly. As she turns back to the front and tries to walk away again, Darren spoke up.

"Wait, ma'am. I hope you don't mind helping me once again but…I really don't know where I am and I have no money with me." Darren said.

"If you don't have any money, just go get a job. Simple as that." Sheena shrugged.

"But I don't know where to go next either." Darren added. "And I don't know what jobs you can do here."

Sheena sighs heavily again. She turns back to him with an arched brow and places her hands at the sides of her hip. "You keep saying that you don't know. Are you alright?"

"I think…and at the same time, no." Darren frowned as he looks down at his scabbard and tightens his grip on it.

Sheena stares wordlessly at Darren for a few moments. She hadn't seen this man around in this town before and despite being taller and perhaps slightly older than her, he has absolutely no clue on what's going on around him. Is he an amnesiac? If so, if he were to be left out here alone with no money and no one to turn to, he wouldn't survive out in the open for even a day. Sheena felt conflicted on whether to help this man though. She will never forget the misfortunes she had experienced in the past which eventually led her into becoming an outcast, but if she won't help him, who else will?

Sheena approached Darren and places her hand on his shoulder, causing him to look back at her.

"Very well, why don't you follow me for the time being?" She said.

Darren widens his eyes in surprise. Shortly after, a huge smile appears on his face and he said enthusiastically, bowing his head to Sheena with gratitude, "Thank you ma'am! You really are a kind person!"

Sheena stares blankly at Darren for a moment, completely caught off guard by his reply. Eventually, a small smile takes form on her face and her eyes softened. "No problem." She murmured.

As Darren looks back at her, he holds out his hand and introduced himself, "My name is Darren." He paused and turns his head away for a moment. He looks back at Sheena when he remembers his last name. "Darren Leong."

"At least you know your own name." Sheena smirked. She removes her hand from his shoulder and shakes his hand. "My name is Sheena. Sheena Fujibayashi."

As she turns around, Sheena gestures Darren to follow her and the two stroll through the marketplace together. She turns back to him and said, "So Darren, tell me everything you do know inside your head."

* * *

Darren woke up from his sleep as the sun shines brightly in the sky. He smiles blissfully as he rises up from his bed. Despite still having no idea how he first arrived to this town, the memory of meeting Sheena for the first time always helps bring him warmth and ease.

He turns to the scabbard which he placed beside him on his bed and picks it up. He grabs the hilt and pulls the object out from the scabbard, revealing it to be a katana.

Why did this object appeared alongside him is yet another unanswered question that still lingers in his mind. Until his training with Sheena, Darren has no memory of ever being a swordsman or a fighter. Yet this ancient sword still appeared with him upon waking up to this town. Although he has no idea why, Darren felt that he had to keep this object with him at all times. He still clings onto whatever hope he had that one day, he will finally know why this sword is with him and what it actually meant to him.

As Darren sheathes the katana back into the scabbard, he places it aside and turns his head, just as the door opens to reveal Sheena.

"Ohayo!" Sheena greeted with a grin. "Rise and shine!"

* * *

After changing into their casual clothes, Darren and Sheena step out of the apartment, preparing for another day of work. However, as soon as Darren closes the door, he gasped as he suddenly realized what he had forgotten to bring along with him.

"Crap!" Darren said, looking down on himself. "I forgot to put on my necklace!"

"Oh come on. You can work for one day without it." Sheena said to him.

"No Sheena! That necklace is special to me!" Darren cried, narrowing his eyes.

"It's your lucky charm, I guess." Sheena smirked and shrugs her shoulders. "Very well, go get it. But don't take too long, will ya?"

"I won't." Darren turns around, opens the door and reenters the apartment. After Darren closes the door behind him, Sheena turns and glances around the town to pass the time as she waits for her friend.

However, it didn't take long for Sheena to spot three figures, dressed in jackets and jeans, standing at the rooftop of one of the buildings at the other side of the road, spying at their apartment. Sheena frowned at them questioningly, immediately realizing that something strange is going on.

* * *

Darren walks through the living room and makes his way to the staircase…completely unaware that he had walk past a certain blonde-haired girl dressed in a white shirt and blue skirt.

"Hello sir!" Lucy greeted.

"Huh?" Darren stops and turns his head to Lucy.

"It's good to meet-" Lucy gets interrupted when Darren responded with a yell of shock. She watched in horror as Darren stumbled backwards and slams his back against the wall. He slides down and lands on the floor on his rear.

"Owww…" Darren moaned in pain as he rubs the back of his head.

"Ah! I'm so sorry for startling you! I didn't mean to do it on purpose!" Lucy cried as she waves her hands frantically.

After shaking his head and recovering from his fall, Darren looks up at Lucy and asked, "How did you get in here?"

"Well," Lucy rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "I would say that I summoned Virgo to help me and my friends unlock the window at the back of your apartment, but…" She hangs her head and her arms drooped at her sides. "Natsu had to burst through it without any second thoughts."

"Huh?" Darren said dumbfounded.

"That's right. There's a broken window, and kinda of a large hole at your kitchen right now. Sorry." Natsu said as he steps into the main area of the apartment along with Wendy, Gray, Erza, Happy and Carla. Darren stares at them incredulously as Natsu wipes off the dust from his jacket.

"Geez, you had to make a ruckus early in the morning and startling the person we came here for, don't you?" Gray chided Natsu.

"And what would you have done, huh?!" Natsu snapped at Gray. Lucy and Wendy sigh heavily while Erza shakes her head.

"So much for a pleasant first impression." Lucy mumbled.

"Hey guys!" Darren yelled exasperatedly as he gets up from the floor. "I want answers right now! What the hell are you all doing here?!"

"We are here to rescue you." Wendy replied as everyone look at him.

"What are you talking about?" Darren asked in confusion. Erza walks up to him as she folds her arms.

When she stood in front of him, Darren fell silent as Erza gave him a solemn frown. "You said you want answers, and we're happy to provide them."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I hope everyone enjoy the story so far! And don't worry, even though we don't see Team Natsu much in this chapter, they will appear more often as the story goes on. Stay tune and read and review!**

 **Darren Leong is an OC of mine. And** **Sheena Fujibayashi is a character from _Tales of Symphonia_. And yes, we will see more characters from the _Tales_ series and other franchises as the story goes on. ****I know there are people who aren't used to OCs and seeing other characters from other shows/games, but I still hope you will give them a chance.**


	2. A New Adventure, Part 2

_**A New Adventure, Part 2**_

"We were assigned by the Magic Council to rescue you." Lucy said to Darren. Natsu grins at Darren as he holds up a document that is officially signed by the council.

"Why do I need rescuing?" Darren asked.

"A month ago, the Magic Council began receiving numerous reports from all over the country, saying that strange portals have mysteriously appeared and people have been falling out from them." Lucy explained. "The first known report came from Malba City. A woman named Doris appeared at the garden of one of the residents' home and they immediately report this to the Magic Council. When the knights arrived, Doris told them that she came from a different world and was suddenly transported here."

"During the questioning, the knights also discovered there were no traces of magic inside her. That is when we at Fairy Tail believe that the world Doris came from…is Edolas." Natsu added.

"Edolas?" Darren asked.

"Edolas was a parallel universe to our world. But unlike us, the people of Edolas do not possess magic. And because of it, the use of magic over there is limited." Wendy explained.

"That is why one time; Edolas began absorbing magic from Earth Land, our world. And our guild headquarters disappeared in the process." Erza added.

"But we were able to enter Edolas, had one of our former members reverse the device they used to absorb the magic from Earth Land, save our guild and return back home." Happy said.

"With the magic reversed, the people back in Edolas now have no magic at all." Carla said.

"That is why we believe you are from Edolas." Gray said.

"I'm…from Edolas?" Darren asked, frowning as he contemplates what the guild has told him. No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't remember if he is from this world known as Edolas, or if he has ever heard the name before.

"Aye. Doris isn't the only person without magic who has mysteriously appeared in this world. The Magic Council has received several similar reports throughout Fiore and all of Earth Land. That is why they have assigned all guilds, including us, to travel around Earth Land and rescue these people. That includes you." Natsu explained.

"How did you guys know I'm one of them?" Darren inquired.

"Enhanced smell." Natsu answered with a grin, placing his fists at the sides of his hip. "See, Wendy and I are Dragon Slayers. And with our senses of smell that are as strong as a dragon, we can detect any of our targets with our noses." Wendy nods her head.

"Now that we've found you, we want you to come with us and head to Era. That's where the Magic Council headquarters is located and where other people without magic like you are being gathered." Erza said.

"Right now, we are tirelessly finding a way to transport you guys back to Edolas. Don't worry, we promise we'll take you home somehow." Lucy said reassuringly.

"Any other questions?" Gray asked.

"Actually I do." Darren said. The guild looked at him questioningly and there was a brief moment of silence. Darren arches a brow and tilts his head to the side as he asked curiously, "How do I smell?"

"Oh." Wendy said as she and Natsu hang their arms limply at their sides. Natsu scratches his head and Wendy twirls her fingers as they ponder how to respond. "Well…" She said nervously. "The scent is hard to describe but-"

"Do I really smell that bad? I just showered a while ago." Darren said before looking down and sniffing his arm.

"Nononononono!" Natsu cried as he and Wendy wave their hands frantically at him. "We were trying to-"

Erza interrupts with a loud groan and said to Darren, "This is not the time! We have to take you to Era now!"

Darren sighed and rubs his temples. He looks back up at the guild and said, "Alright. I'm actually still feeling confused about all of this. But if you guys truly are the number 1 guild in Fiore, I trust you enough."

Lucy smiled at him with her hands placed behind her back. "Welcome aboard, Darren!"

"Wait!" Darren cried abruptly, causing everyone to stare at him confused.

"What is it?" Gray asked perplexed.

"I forgot my necklace." Darren said, placing his hand on his chest.

Everyone sigh before Erza said to him, "Alright, but don't keep us waiting." Darren nods his head before rushing up the stairs.

* * *

Darren enters his room and found his necklace lying on top of the wooden drawer beside his bed. He hastily walks over to it and grabs it. After putting on the necklace around his neck, he turns his head and sees his scabbard lying on his bed.

Darren frowns at it. Knowing that this may be the last time he would ever set foot in Underwood for a while, Darren grabs the scabbard and holds it firmly in his hand as he leaves his room.

* * *

As two of the three men continue standing at the rooftop and spying on Darren's apartment, the third man stood a few metres away from the others and spoke to a lacrima ball in his hand.

"The boy has returned back into his apartment." The man reported.

"Keep an eye on him at all times, Jarek. Make sure nothing happens to him. They are coming here soon to collect him and I need that payment!" Maroro said to him at the other side of the line.

"Understood." Jarek said before turning off and putting away his lacrima ball into his jacket. He turns around and regroups with the others.

"That friend of his sure knows how to stand still." One of the men spying at Sheena and the entrance said.

Jarek leans forward and narrows his eyes. The man is right. It's been minutes since Darren returned back into his apartment, and Sheena is still standing like a statue at the entrance. But this obviously means something is wrong. Jarek glares at the man and yelled, "You fool! That is a divers-AGH!"

The two men are startled as someone suddenly jabs her hand at the side of Jarek's neck, causing him to yelp and collapse onto the floor as he falls into unconsciousness.

"You!" One of the men cried as they turn and gaze at Sheena in horror. Sheena yells furiously as she runs over and knocks them out.

After defeating the two men, Sheena turns back to the entrance of her apartment and snaps her fingers. The fake Sheena turns into clouds of smoke and a piece of paper gently falls onto the floor.

Shortly afterwards, the door opens and to Sheena's surprise, she sees Team Natsu stepping out of the building along with Darren.

"Sheena?" Darren said, widening his eyes as he looked around. But he couldn't find his friend anywhere. "Sheena!"

"Who's Sheena?" Wendy asked.

"She's my friend! She has been waiting for me outside but now she's gone!" Darren replied to her in alarm.

"Hey! Who are you guys?!"

Everyone turn to their right and see four thugs, armed with bats and swords walking over to them.

"No one goes near the man in black!" One of the thugs barked at them.

Natsu and Darren turn to each other. Gray places his hand firmly on Darren's shoulder. "I think he meant you." Gray said to him.

"Oh." Darren realized aloud.

"Looks like we have trouble." Lucy said, frowning as she pulls out her whip.

"What exactly do you guys want from him?!" Wendy yelled as Gray cracks his knuckles before getting into his fighting stance.

"You guys aren't taking him away from us! That man is under our custody!" One of them yelled in response as the thugs continue walking towards them.

"We'll be the judge of that!" Gray grimaced as he slams his fist onto his palm. Darren widens his eyes as breeze and light blue began illuminating on his hands.

"Natsu, Lucy, Happy! Take Darren away to safety!" Erza ordered. Darren watches her in awe as a sword and a set of armor magically appears on Erza's hand and body.

"Right!" Natsu replied before whirling about and grabbing Darren by his arm. "Come on! We're getting out of here!"

"Follow us!" Lucy added as she grabs Darren's other arm. She, Natsu and Happy fled to the opposite direction while dragging Darren along with them.

"STOP THEM! Do not let them get away from us!" One of thugs roared before three of them charge towards Wendy, Gray, Erza and Carla.

As he stays behind, one of the thugs pulls out a lacrima ball from his pocket and spoke to it, "Attention everyone! A blue exceed, a man with pink hair and a woman with blonde hair are getting away with our possession! Find them and stop them!"

"Attack!" Erza shouted before she, Wendy, Gray and Carla charge towards the thugs.

"ICE MAKE: ICE HAMMER!" Gray shouted as he summons a large hammer made of ice out from his hands and swings it down onto one of the thugs.

Another thug continuously swings his sword at Wendy, who quickly backs away from every swing. Carla flies over to her and grabs her by her tail. The exceed pulls her up into the air and the thug watches dumbfounded as Wendy's cheeks enlarged.

"SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!" Wendy blows out a huge hurricane-like blast from her mouth at the thug, sending him sprawling through the ground.

The two remaining thugs charge at Erza. One of them swings his bat vertically at her. Erza dodges the attack by simply turning to her side and jabs her elbow at the back of his head. As the thug stumbles over, Erza turns and kicks him at his back, sending him falling to the ground.

The last thug swings his sword diagonally at Erza from behind. Even with her eyes closed, Erza dodges the attack by sliding to the side. She whirls about and swings her left fist at the thug, punching him across his face. The thug yells as he swings his sword horizontally at her. Erza swiftly blocks the attack with her sword before throwing her left fist into his gut. As the thug gasps in pain as he bends over, Erza lifts her leg up and delivers a powerful kick to his bottom jaw with her knee, sending him falling over to the ground. Erza turns back to Gray and Wendy as Carla places the blue-haired girl gently back on the ground.

"Come on! Let's go after the others!" She ordered her teammates.

* * *

Natsu, Lucy and Darren ran through the streets of Underwood with Happy flying behind them.

"What do they want from me?!" Darren cried in a mixture of shock and confusion.

"I don't know! You probably got a bounty on your head or something!" Natsu yelled at him.

"Why would anyone do that on me?!" Darren cried incredulously.

"I wonder too. Usually, it's members of Dark Guilds that get wanted by the authorities, but you're no mage!" Lucy replied.

"THERE THEY ARE!"

Natsu, Lucy, Darren and Happy turn their heads as they kept running. They see several thugs coming out from an alleyway they pass by earlier, running after them with bats and swords in their hands. Some of them are unarmed, but are muscular and intimidating.

"Happy! Take Darren to the rooftop!" Natsu ordered his exceed friend.

"Aye!" Happy replied before flying behind Darren and wrapping his tail around his chest. "Hang on!"

Darren yelps as Happy flies up and lifts him up into the air. Meanwhile, Lucy and Natsu stop and turn around. Lucy pulls out one of her keys from her belt and holds it up into the air. "I CALLED UPON THEE, OPENING THE GATE OF MAIDEN!" She swings her key horizontally before shouting, "VIRGO!"

After swinging it down, a beam of light erupts from the tip of her key and lands onto the ground. A woman magically appears in front of her. She is about the same height as Lucy and has blue eyes, short pink hair and wears a typical maid outfit, consisting of a black under coat and a white, filled-trim apron. She also has shackles cuffed around her wrists.

"Virgo, use Spica Lock!" Lucy ordered.

"Hai." Virgo calmly replied before kneeling down and slamming her hands onto the ground. The thugs look around in shock and bewilderment as several rocks burst out from the ground and trap all of them inside a circular-shaped rocky prison.

"You'll pay for that!" Lucy and Natsu turn around to see another group of muscular thugs running over to them from behind.

One of them jumps into the air and slams his fist on the ground as he lands, creating waves of electricity that surge through the floor. Lucy shrieks as Virgo carries her up in her arms and she and Natsu jump out of the way before the electric waves reach them. Unfortunately, the thugs who were trapped inside the Spica Lock scream in agony as they get electrocuted. Moments later, the rocks fall off, revealing the once trapped thugs looking shell-shocked before swaying around and collapsing onto the floor.

While Natsu is still in the air, he slams his fists together, engulfing them in flames.

"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!" Natsu shouted in rage as he flies over to the thugs and punches one of them in the face. After the thug is sent sliding through the floor, the remaining thugs surround Natsu and one of them runs over to him.

As the thug swings his fist layered with steel at him, Natsu dodged by turning to the side and punches him on top of his head. As the thug falls to the ground, two more men run up to Natsu from behind. Before they could swing their bats, Natsu lifts his fists up, punching both of them directly in their faces. As the thugs drop their bats, Natsu turns around, grabs them by their heads and knocks them hard against each other. The thugs roll their eyes back before falling to the ground unconscious.

Another thug runs up to Natsu and delivers an overhead strike with his hammer. Natsu turns to him and grabs onto the head of the hammer. The thug stares at Natsu dumbfounded as he melts the hammer into molten lava. He opens his mouth wide and swallows the lava, causing Darren to drop his jaw as he and Happy watch the fight from the rooftop of a nearby building.

"Do my glasses need cleaning?" Darren said.

As the thug backs away in horror, Natsu tosses the now-melted hammer aside, licks his lips and wipes off the bits of lava from his mouth before giving him a fiendish grin.

"Thanks. It's just what I need." Natsu said. Suddenly, he throws his head back as his cheeks enlarge. The thugs watch in awe and horror as Natsu places his fists in front of his mouth before blowing out a huge tornado-like blast of fire. "FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"

As he fired, Natsu turns himself around in a circle, causing the thugs to scream as they get hit by his enormous flaming attack.

"Incredible." Darren uttered.

"Aye. Natsu is one of the most powerful mages in all of Fiore. He is one of the reasons why our guild is number 1 in all of Fiore." Happy said with a smile.

Natsu blows out a heavy sigh after letting out all of the flames inside his body. He looks around and sees all of the thugs lying on the ground in defeat, covered with ashes and have goofy looks plastered on their faces. Virgo lands beside Natsu and gently places Lucy on the ground. Lucy and Natsu smile as they gave each other a high-five before turning and looking up at Darren and Happy at the rooftop.

"You guys okay?" Natsu asked.

"Yup!" Darren replied as he and Happy gave peace signs at them.

Lucy suddenly gasps and widens her eyes in shock as she felt a strange presence about to appear before Darren and Happy.

"LOOK OUT!" She screamed in horror.

Darren and Happy widen their eyes as a huge thug dressed in gray metallic armor lands on the rooftop and behind them. The two turn around and Happy scream as the thug gets up and looks down at them.

"You have proven yourself to be a nuisance, boy!" The thug said to Darren in a deep, booming voice.

"Why you!" Natsu growled as he jumps into the air and flies over to Darren, Happy and the thug as his fist engulfed in flames.

The thug sees Natsu flying over to him and draws out his broadsword. He swings his sword diagonally, causing Darren and Happy to hold up their arms and turn their heads away. The sword clashed against Natsu's flaming fist. But the impact of the blow sends Natsu falling back to the ground.

"Natsu!" Happy cried, watching his friend in horror.

"Virgo!" Lucy cried. Virgo leaps into the air and catches Natsu in her arms before landing back on the ground and placing him down.

Happy quickly flies up and wraps his tail around Darren. "Hang on!" Happy said. However, just as the exceed lifts Darren up in the air, the thug swings his fist at Happy, punching him across his face and sending him and Darren falling back onto the rooftop.

"HAPPY!" Natsu shouted in horror as he watches from the bottom.

As he laid on the rooftop, Darren looks up and gasps as he sees Happy struggling to get up. A moment later, Happy sighs as he falls back down with his eyelids closed. Natsu growls angrily, quivering with rage after seeing his closest friend passing out. He runs over to the building and flies up to the rooftop again.

Darren grits his teeth as he sits up, turns around and faces the armored thug who slowly approaches him and the unconscious exceed.

"Why are you doing this?!" Darren shouted at him.

"Our boss Maroro wants you to come with us." The thug responded.

"What? Maroro?!" Darren widens his eyes, shocked to hear the name of his boss.

As Natsu lands on the rooftop behind Darren and Happy, the thug continued as a fiendish grin takes form on his face, "Don't you know? The Abbey has been going around Earth Land, looking for people like you. And they will reward us a huge sum of jewels for handing you over to them!"

"Did I hear that right?" Lucy managed to say as she and Virgo look up at the thug in shock.

"The Abbey?!" Natsu cried.

"We are going to be filthy rich, and you scumbags will not take away our livelihood!" The armored thug yelled angrily.

Natsu roars as he charges at the thug. He swings his flaming fists several times at him, but the thug deflects them with his sword. When he sees an opening, the thug swiftly thrusts his hand and grabs Natsu by his neck. Natsu gasped in pain as he grabs the thug's fingers, trying to break free from his mighty grip. But it is useless as the thug lifts him up into the air.

"NATSU!" Lucy screamed in terror. Darren widens his eyes and drops his jaw in horror as well as he watches the display. Horrified to see Natsu being helplessly lifted into the air while the thug laughs evilly…and stunned that the display sent a wave of old memories at him, flooding into his head with the force of a tsunami.

* * *

Darren, dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and brown pants, froze and helplessly watches a tall student lifting a shorter student up in the air while grabbing onto his collar. The shorter student grits his teeth as he turns to Darren and begged, "Please…help me!"

As the tall student turns his head and glares at him, Darren gasps as he felt his heart beating faster and soon finds himself gritting his teeth and clenching his fists tightly.

* * *

Darren continues gazing at Natsu and the thug as he sat there. Natsu lifts his leg up and kicks the thug's head several times. But the thug casually turns back to Natsu, grinning as if he is completely unaffected by his attacks.

"You are weak, boy!" The thug said mockingly. Natsu widens his eyes as the thug holds up his broadsword, pulling it back and…

"STOOOOPPPP!" Darren suddenly shouted as he finally regains his ability to move and gets up from the roof tiles. Without any second thought, Darren pulls out his katana from his scabbard and swings it diagonally at the thug just as he vertically swings his broadsword. The thug drops his jaw in shock as he finds himself clashing his sword against Darren's katana and the two stayed at a stalemate.

Natsu gasps as he lays eyes on the katana in Darren's hand. "That sword! It can't be!" He cried.

"Why you…" The thug growled menacingly at Darren. He tosses Natsu aside and backs away from Darren. He holds his sword up and swings it down onto Darren, who blocks his attack again as he holds up his katana. Darren turns to the side, causing the thug to stumble forward as he brings his sword down onto the roof tiles.

The thug turns his head and sees Darren getting into a fighting stance with his katana. The thug snarled as he gets back up. "If that's how you want to play, fine! I'll teach you a lesson by cutting off your arms!"

Darren and the thug yell as they charge towards each other. But as soon as they took a few steps forward, a familiar light brown-haired woman came charging towards the armored thug and throws a powerful punch across his face. After the thug drops his sword, the woman proceeds to deliver an uppercut to his gut. The punch not only caused the thug to gasp in pain, but also breaks his armor in the process. As his armor shattered into pieces, the thug moans as he rolls his eyes back and hung his head. Mickey snorted as she pushes the now unconscious man aside and cracks her knuckles.

"Mickey!" Darren said, smiling in relief as he lowers his katana.

Mickey turns to Darren and smiles back at him. "Hey Darren!" She greeted as she waves her hand. "I was busy managing my stall but I kept hearing a lot of ruckus from where I'm standing. So I ended up leaving my stall to search for the source, and this is what I ended up coming across. Now that it is taken care of, I should be getting back. See ya!"

"Yeah, see you around." Darren said, waving his hand back at her.

Mickey turns her head and sees Natsu standing in the distance. He looked surprised for a moment before a huge smirk takes form on his face. He gave a solemn nod to his former fellow guild member. Mickey smiles at him and nods her head back before she turns around and leaps away from the scene.

Natsu picks Happy up and cradles him in his arms, sighing in relief as he sees the exceed slowly waking up.

"Natsu!" He could hear Erza's voice.

Natsu turns around as Erza, Wendy, Gray and Carla came up to him from behind. Virgo jumps up to the rooftop and lands near the rest of the guild before setting Lucy down.

"Are you alright?" Lucy asked Natsu in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks to him." Natsu said, gesturing to Darren. Wendy gasps as she stares at Darren's katana.

"Natsu…that sword…" Wendy uttered.

"I know. I felt the same sensation too." Natsu said to her. Erza walks up to Darren and places her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you fine?" Erza asked.

"Yeah…" Darren said, looking down at his katana. "And I…I think I remembered something…"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Darren and Team Natsu look around and see several grappling hooks being thrown onto the sides of the rooftop. Several thugs climbed up to the top of the building, draw out their weapons and surround them.

"You shouldn't have been a naughty boy, Darren Leong."

Darren and Team Natsu turn their heads to the bottom of the building and see Maroro standing at the ground. Two more muscular thugs stood behind him.

As Maroro flashes a grin at them, Darren yelled at him, "Is it true?! Are you trying to sell me away to this group known as the Abbey?! Treating me like I'm some kind of item?!"

Maroro laughed in response. "Of course, you idiot. Ever since you told me that you have no magical abilities during that job interview, I realized that you are one of those people who have mysteriously showed up throughout Earth Land. True, I could have informed the Magic Council about you right away. But why should I when the Abbey actually rewards us with cash?"

Lucy grimaced at him. "You filthy pig! Choosing money over innocent lives! You are the kind of people that are lower than dark mages!" She shouted at him.

"Shut up, little lady!" Maroro snapped back, jabbing a finger at her. "I don't care if you guys are the number 1 guild in Fiore. Hand over Darren to us right now or I can keep sending my men to fight you all until the Abbey gets here. Then we'll see if you guys are stronger than them!"

Darren and Team Natsu look at the surrounding thugs, sneering at them as they get into their fighting stances.

"So be it." Erza said coldly. She holds up her sword and gets into her fighting stance as well.

"Yeah! We'll take you all down!" Natsu shouted at the thugs.

"Very well." Maroro said. "TAKE THEM DOWN!"

But just as the thugs yell and prepare to attack, a familiar woman jumps down from the sky and lands in front of Darren and Team Natsu. The thugs stopped and stare at the woman in bewilderment.

"Sheena!" Darren cried in relief as Sheena gets up and places her hands at the back of her head.

"Hey guys, how about a performance?" Sheena asked the thugs with a smirk. The thugs watch in confusion as Sheena looks down and places her hands all over her body. She looks back up at the thugs and asked, "Ummm, has anyone seen my marbles?"

One of the thugs snarled at her. "Screw this!" He yells as he charges towards Sheena and thrusts his dagger at her. Sheena dodges him by turning to side and swiftly wraps her arm around his neck. The thug gasped as Sheena uses her other hand to grab his wrist and gave it a twist, causing him to yelp as he drops his dagger. As Sheena places his hand behind his back and turns back to the thugs, who all flinch, she looks back at the man whom she had held hostage and smiled.

"Ah." Sheena inserts her hand into the thug's right ear and magically pulls out five marbles between her fingers. "There they are." She grins as she flicks her hand. Within a split second, the marbles now turn into a small pile of papers. Sheena swiftly throws the papers down on the roof tiles and in front of the thugs. The papers exploded, creating huge amounts of thick smoke that blinded the thugs.

"What?!" Maroro yelled in shock as he and the two thugs behind him watch.

The thugs continue coughing until the smoke is cleared. As they slowly open their eyes and regain their vision, they realize that Darren, Sheena and Team Natsu have completely vanished, much to their alarm.

"What the, where did they go?!" One of the thugs asked.

"T-T-They're gone!" Another one cried.

"What?! They have vanished?!" Maroro shouted in shock and anger. "Well don't just stand there! FIND THEM!"

* * *

After Virgo tied the beaten and unconscious thug up against a tree, Erza takes out a lacrima ball and speaks to it, "Lieutenant, we have retrieved the person with no magical abilities from the town of Underwood. We are going to meet up with you now."

" _Great work, Fairy Tail. Don't take too long though. The councilman is growing more impatient by the minute." The lieutenant replied._

"Understood." Erza said. When they have finished talking, Erza deactivates the lacrima and puts it away. She turns around as Gray, Natsu and Happy walk up to her. "We better get going."

"Right." Gray said. "We wish we could personally thank Mickey though. She is the one who contacted us about Darren's location in the first place."

"Oh don't worry." Natsu replied with a smirk. "She's got the memo."

"Thanks for your help again, Virgo." Lucy smiled at her Celestial Spirit as she holds up her key. "You may now return."

"It has been my pleasure, Mistress." Virgo gave Lucy a solemn bow before she glows white and returns back into the key. Lucy turns her head and sees Darren standing in the distance and staring out at the town of Underwood in the distance while holding onto his scabbard with his katana sheathed inside it in his hands.

Darren sighed inwardly, never knowing that one day, he would finally set foot outside of Underwood, and ready to venture the world beyond the boundaries of the town. Sheena walks up to him from behind and places her hand on his shoulder.

"Well, it looks like we can never go back there." Sheena said to Darren.

Darren shrugged and turns to Sheena. "I never like working at that crappy restaurant anyway." He said bluntly.

Sheena burst out laughing and gave Darren a wide smile. "Yeah! To hell with that place, right?" She asked.

"Yup!" Darren replied cheerfully before he and Sheena bump their fists together. The two turn around and see Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lucy, Wendy, Happy and Carla all smiling back at them.

"Are you ready to come with us?" Natsu asked.

"Yes." Darren nods his head.

"Since I know I'll get my butt kicked if I go back there, I guess I have no other options but to travel with you guys at the meantime." Sheena said, folding her arms.

"Thank you for helping us back there, Sheena. And it's good to have you coming along with us." Lucy said to her. Sheena frowned and gave a solemn nod to her and the guild.

Natsu turns around and exclaimed as he pumps his fist up, "Now then, let's go back to the ship and make our way to Era!"

"And bring Darren and the others safely back to Edolas!" Lucy added as she turns around as well and places her hands at the sides of her hip.

"Aye!" Happy added as he flies up in the air and spreads out his limbs.

"Actually, about that…" Darren spoke up.

"Huh?" Natsu said as he, Lucy, Happy and the others turn back to Darren. Sheena looked at her friend questioningly as well.

"Back then, during our fight with those men…I remembered something from my past…and I finally realized something…" Darren uttered.

"What is it?" Erza inquired.

"I'm not from Edolas." Darren responded. "I'm from Singapore."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank aquabluey for reviewing, favoriting and following! As well as JcL107 for following and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	3. Under Attack

_**Under Attack**_

Things were quite uneventful for Darren, Team Natsu and Sheena as they walk through the forest and make their way to the Magic Council ship. Darren mostly spends the time away by explaining to Team Natsu and Sheena about what he remembered when he first arrived to Earth Land, as well as his own world and what he and other people usually do back there. They were intrigued to learn that the world Darren came from is quite similar to Edolas, and that they mostly perform their everyday duties with something known as 'technology'.

"Sooooo, the name of the world you came from is called 'Earth'?" Lucy asked.

"Yes." Darren replied.

"Are you sure it's not Earth Land?" Wendy asked.

"Yes! I've double and triple-checked that it's NOT Earth Land! Sheesh!" Darren cried exasperatedly as it is the umpteenth time he has made this confirmation with the members of Team Natsu.

"So if your world is called Earth, does that mean your world is just a rock?" Erza asked with her fingers placed at the bottom of her chin.

"Well, technically yes." Darren said.

"That's pretty boring." Gray remarked with an arched brow.

"And all along, we thought New York City is some place in Edolas." Natsu said as he scratches the tip of his nose.

"Huh?! How do you know that name?" Darren asked Natsu incredulously.

"Oh, that's the name of the place Doris says she's from." Natsu replied.

"Why didn't you tell me that back then?! If you had, I would have already regained my memories sooner!" Darren cried.

"Hey, we have to keep a lot of the information on you guys anonymous, ya know?" Natsu shrugged.

"What other places do these people say they are from?" Darren asked.

"Vladivostok."

"That's in Russia! A country in my world! What else?!"

"Paris."

"France! Anywhere else?"

"Chennai."

"India! Some more?"

"Bremerhaven."

"Germany!" Darren sighs as he turns his head away and rubs his temples. "Man, I feel like playing a game of _'Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?'_." He looks up and turns his head around. "And how much longer do we have to walk through this forest? Every single tree looks the same! Is this even a naturally grown forest anymore? This feels like a sick joke of a Kaizo game designer's dungeon!"

"Whoa, Darren! Calm down. I haven't seen you this paranoid before." Sheena said as she followed him from behind.

"How can I calm down?!" Darren cried exasperatedly as he turns to Sheena. "This is exactly why I hated National Service back in my country! I should be at home right now, playing Overwatch, eating potato chips and watching anime!" For a brief moment, he holds up his scabbard and flashes a huge grin. "At least I have this katana though! I've always dream of holding a Japanese sword!"

"Japanese? What's that?" Sheena asked in confusion.

"Someone's going through puberty." Happy whispered to Carla as they walk.

"I'm 20 years old!" Darren snapped at Happy.

"I hate to break this fascinating conversation but we're here." Erza said bluntly as they step out of the boundaries of the forest.

Darren and Sheena widen their eyes in awe as they see a large light blue ship with white highlights in the distance. In front of the end of the ramp that leads to the entrance of the ship are three Rune Knights, armed with spears and dressed in light blue robes, white pants and black shoes. Two of them are also wearing white hats, but one of them isn't and he has bluish gray eyes and long dark purple hair which the tips are tied up with a yellow ribbon.

The purple-haired man slightly turns his head and sees Team Natsu standing in the distance. "Fairy Tail! It's good to see you again!" The man said.

Erza gestured Darren and Sheena to follow them. They walk over to the ramp to the ship and Erza reported to the man, "We have found the person we are looking for, Lieutenant Lowell."

Lieutenant Lowell turns to Darren and Sheena. "I thought you said person and not people." He said.

"Oh no, I do have magic inside me." Sheena said to the lieutenant before gesturing to Darren. "This is the person they are talking about."

"Who are you exactly?" The lieutenant asked Sheena.

"A companion of his." Sheena answered, placing a hand at the right side of her hip.

"Yeah, well, we'll explain later but let's say things happened and she ended up having to travel along with us." Lucy explained to the lieutenant.

The lieutenant nods his head to Lucy before taking out a scanner. Erza moves out of the way to allow the lieutenant to walk up to Darren. "Hold still." He said. Darren obliged and watches the lieutenant scan his body from top to bottom. A few seconds later, the lieutenant stood up and turns to Erza. "Yup. This person has no traces of magic inside him." He confirmed.

After Erza nods her head to him, the lieutenant turns back to Darren and extends his hand. "What is your name?" He asked.

"Darren Leong." Darren replied.

"Nice to meet you, Darren. My name is Lieutenant Yuri Lowell. I know you're still feeling a little confused of your current situation, but I can assure you that you're safe as long as you cooperate with us." The lieutenant introduced himself with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Lowell." Darren said as he shakes his hand.

"Lieutenant Yuri Lowell! Have they arrived back yet?!" A voice barked.

Everyone turn their heads up to the entrance of the ship to see an old man who wears glasses and black robes, staring down at them in annoyance.

"They're here, Councilman Ragou. They have just returned with our main priority." Yuri replied.

"Good! Now hurry up and get back inside so that we can return to Era already! And I hope Fairy Tail here didn't cause any ruckus back at Underwood! Sheesh!" Ragou scoffed at them before turning around and heading back inside the ship.

Yuri sighs heavily before turning back to the others. "He's been acting like that ever since you guys were in Underwood for the last 24 hours." He explained.

"Ugh, what exactly is wrong with that guy?" Natsu pouted with his arms folded. "I know we cause trouble all the time, but he really pisses me off."

"Wait, you guys cause trouble?" Darren asked questioningly.

Lucy chuckled nervously. "We'll explain."

* * *

After everyone get inside the ship, Yuri ordered his men to fly off and set course for Era. Meanwhile, Darren, Sheena and Team Natsu went inside a large resting room where two Rune Knights stood outside and guard the door. Darren and Sheena sat beside each other on two wooden chairs. Lucy and Wendy sat together on a bed at the left side of the room. Happy and Carla sat on another bed at the other side while Natsu, Gray, and Erza stood in front of Darren and Sheena. As they rest, Team Natsu took the time to explain Darren and Sheena about their story. Of how the guild was first founded, and how they got their reputation as the number one and most powerful guild in all of Fiore…and how they are also the most infamous.

"So let me get this straight. Natsu once burst into the Magic Council Fiore Branch Building for trying to rescue Erza while she was being put on trial," Darren said. The members of Team Natsu nod their heads. "And then when you guys won a competition known as the Grand Magic Games, you guys got into trouble when Natsu stole the King's clothes and disguised himself as the King of Fiore during the banquet?" They nod again. "And then the following year, Natsu melted the arena and burn the clothes of several people who were just there to participate or watch the Games," They nod once again. "And then Natsu set the King's palace on fire just to announce your guild's revival?" They nod their heads one more time.

"Well, I gotta say…" Darren widens his eyes as he bellowed, "With such a bad conduct like that, it's no wonder why the Magic Council shows scorn towards all of you and sent one of their members to monitor you!"

"Who saw that coming?" Lucy deadpanned as she asked her fellow guild members.

"Yup." Natsu responded as he, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Happy and Carla raise their hands.

"Huh?! How can you guys be so casual about this?!" Darren asked incredulously.

"And I thought Phantom Lord is even worse." Sheena murmured.

"Hey! Don't compare us to Phantom Lord!" Natsu muttered. "Our guild may be seen as troublemakers, but they on the other hand, are a disgrace to all guilds across Earth Land."

"Indeed. After what they did to us years ago, they will forever serve as a warning about a guild destroying itself over spite and envy." Erza added solemnly. Sheena frowned and lowers her head after hearing those words.

"Sheena?" Darren asked his friend in concern.

"Ahem." Natsu coughed. Darren turns back to the Dragon Slayer who stares at him solemnly as he places his hands on the sides of his hip. "But now, there's something else Wendy and I want to talk to you about, and it's regarding your sword."

"My katana?" Darren asked in confusion.

"Hai." Wendy said. "That sword…when Natsu and I felt it with our dragon senses…we could also feel the presence of our guild's founder, Mavis Vermillion." Lucy, Gray, Erza, Happy and Carla gasped.

"Wendy…Natsu…are you sure?" Lucy asked.

"No doubt about it." Natsu responded.

"Then that means Mavis isn't entirely dead after all!" Gray said.

"But how?" Erza added.

"Umm, what are you guys talking about?" Darren asked, perplexed by the ongoing discussion.

"Darren, you said that you woke up with this sword beside you, right?" Natsu asked.

"Yes." Darren nods his head.

"Maybe…" Wendy frowned. "Is it possible that while in death, Mavis bestow this weapon on you during your arrival to this world?"

There was a moment of silence in the room, before Darren burst out laughing.

"Sorry but if you guys are saying that I'm a Superman or Luke Skywalker, then you are-"

 _ **BOOM!**_

Everyone in the room scream when they felt a huge explosion that cause the entire left side of the ship to shake and rumble, and causing everyone except Happy and Carla to fall onto the floor.

A moment later, Erza sits up from the floor and cried, "Everyone! Are you alright?!"

"Mm fineh…" Natsu responded, but his voice is muffled.

"Yeah, I'm good." Darren replied as he gets up, kneeling down on a single knee and placing a hand on his wooden chair.

Lucy moans as she lifts her head up. "I'm al…right…" She trails off when she finally opens her eyes and looks down. She drops her jaw, realizing that her breasts are pressed onto Natsu's face as he lies below her. Lucy screams in horror as she quickly gets off of Natsu and wraps her arms around her chest. Natsu, still oblivious, takes the moment to catch his breath.

"Well, that was awk…ward…" Darren trails off when he turns his attention to Erza, who is still sitting on the floor with her legs spread out. Erza frowns at Darren for a moment before looking down to see what he is staring at. She drops her jaw in shock and quickly places her hands down on her skirt to cover up her underwear.

"I totally wasn't expect-" But Darren soon gets cut off when Erza looks up and shot a cold glare that instantly sends chills down his spine.

"Ever do that again and I'll shove my sword down your throat." Erza said darkly. With his eyes wide and his body trembling, Darren responded to her with a slow nod.

"What the hell just happened?" Sheena asked as everybody gets up from the floor and stand back up.

"Only one way to find out." Natsu whirled about as he, Gray and Wendy rush to the door.

"Sheena, we could use your help." Erza said to Sheena.

"Sure thing." Sheena shrugged.

"Lucy, Happy, Carla, stay here with Darren." Erza ordered her teammates.

"Am I really just going to stay here?" Darren complained. "I can fight too, you know."

"Yes you can, but the fighting skills I taught you are only for self-defense. This is actual head on combat!" Sheena replied.

"What's the difference?!" Darren cried incredulously.

"Swing your sword at me." Sheena said flatly.

Darren narrows his eyes at her before grabbing the hilt of his katana. But as soon as he tries to pull it out from the scabbard, Sheena slaps his hand off from the hilt and gave a light punch to his chest. Darren yelps as he backs away and rubs his chest.

"You're not ready, Darren. So just stay here with Lucy and the exceeds." Sheena said to him.

"But I-" Before Darren could protest, he cuts himself off when Sheena pouts and jabs a finger at his face. She points her finger downwards, gesturing him to stay put. Darren groans and rolls his eyes in response. As Darren sat back down on his chair, Sheena and Erza turn around and leave the room, joining Natsu, Gray and Wendy into battle.

"Don't worry, Darren. You still got us." Lucy smiled. Darren turns to her and sees her now sitting at the right side bed with Happy and Carla.

Darren sighs heavily before asking the three, "Got any clue who would come and attack us?"

"Probably the Abbey." Lucy said solemnly as she folds her arms. "Ever since people of your kind showed up, they too suddenly made their appearance known across Earth Land. According to the Magic Council, they have already invaded some of the towns in the southern part of Fiore and form a territory of their own."

"The Rune Knights did try to fight them back, but the Abbey continues to invade and conquer more parts of Fiore even as we speak." Carla added.

"It feels like Alvarez Empire all over again." Happy said grimly as he shudders.

"There had to be a reason why they would suddenly appear, and around the same time I showed up in this world too." Darren said as he adjusts his glasses.

"That's exactly what we are wondering too." Lucy said.

* * *

In the hallway at the left side of the ship, Yuri and six Rune Knights stare in horror as they see the sharp tips of several large harpoons pierced through the metal walls. They stumbled as they now feel their ship being pulled.

"Lieutenant Yuri Lowell, what is going on?!" Ragou cried as he hastily walks down the hallway, looking extremely flustered.

"What does it look like, Councilman?!" Yuri shouted at Ragou as he and his men regain their balance. "We are being attacked! Stand back!"

"How dare you raise your voice at me?! I was just asking a question!" Ragou yelled at him angrily. As Ragou continues his rumblings, Yuri rolls his eyes before turning to his knights and gestures two of them to escort the councilman to safety. The two knights gently grab Ragou's arms and take him away despite his protests to release him.

Yuri turns to the remaining four knights with him and unsheathes his sword from his scabbard. "All units! Prepare to engage in battle!" He commanded.

* * *

Outside of the Magic Council ship is another ship flying alongside it. It is larger in size and has several harpoon cannons lined up in a vertical row at the starboard. The sides of the ship are colored white with yellow highlights. Its large sails are also white and each has a symbol plastered on it. The symbol is yellow and resembles a combination of a crescent and a three-pointed star.

The knights operating the cannons watch the Magic Council ship being slowly pulled towards their own ship. The knights are dressed in white metallic helms that conceal their faces. They wear short white capes, white long-sleeved leather robes with yellow highlights and blue bands around the top of their long white and yellow gloves. They also wear black pants, white long legged boots and silver metallic sabatons to protect their ankles and feet.

Another knight approaches the starboard and stood alongside the cannon operators. His appearance is distinguishable from the other knights. He wears a white conquistador helmet and a gold mask with a teal visor and a black breathing apparatus around his mouth, concealing his face. He is also dressed in a gold suit underneath his white armor with blue highlights. On the center of his armor is the yellow symbol plastered on it and has a double-edged naginata attached onto his back.

"Sir, we have secured the enemy ship." One of the regular white knights said to the knight in gold. He has a long blue feather at the back of his helmet to be identified as a squad leader.

"The magicless human is somewhere on that ship. Find him, and eliminate all who stand in our way." The knight in gold boomed in a deep, distorted voice.

"Yes, Mala Makra sir." The squad leader said with a solemn nod. He turns to the other knights and ordered, "Everyone! Arm yourselves and prepare for battle!"

The regular knights pull out their swords from their scabbards at the side of their hips while the squad leader holds out his hand and magically summons a spear.

When the Magic Council ship is now right beside their ship, Mala draws out his naginata. He and the squad leader aim their weapons at the Magic Council ship while the other knights stand back. They fire two blasts of bright magic at the ship, damaging the walls and creating an opening.

When the smoke is cleared, Yuri and the Rune Knights look up to see their enemies standing right in front of them.

"Praetors…" Yuri uttered.

"MOVE!" The squad leader yelled before he and the praetors climb over the railings and leap into the enemy ship. Most of the praetors proceed to fight against the Rune Knights while seven of them turn to their right and enter deep into the ship.

Yuri tries to stop them but two more praetors quickly place themselves in front of him. Yuri snarled at them before the praetors run up to him. One of them swings his sword diagonally at Yuri. He quickly holds up his sword to block the attack and pushes the praetor away from him. The other praetor delivers an overhead strike with his sword. Yuri quickly moves to the side and thrusts his sword into the praetor's abdomen. After stabbing him, Yuri kicks the praetor off from his sword and turns back to the other who swings his sword horizontally at him. Yuri retaliates by doing a backwards somersault and kicks the sword off of the praetor's hand in the process. When Yuri lands back down on his feet, he swings his sword diagonally and slashes the praetor, who collapses onto the floor in defeat.

Yuri turns his head and watches three of his men being easily taken down by the other praetors. The last Rune Knight gets stabbed at the side of his gut by the squad leader's spear. The squad leader removes his spear and kicks him to the floor. The Rune Knight looks up and helplessly watches in fear as the squad leader walks up to him.

"No!" Yuri shouted as he tries to help his fellow knight. But two more praetors place themselves in front of Yuri and swing their swords down at him. Yuri quickly holds up his sword and blocks their combined attack. The squad leader holds up his spear and lunges it down, stabbing the Rune Knight through his chest.

"Dammit!" Yuri cried as he watches his fellow soldier die.

"CIRCLE SWORD!"

The squad leader looks up for a brief moment before a circular blast of white magic comes flying towards him and strikes him and two other praetors standing behind him down.

"What?" One of the praetors said as he and the other turn their attention away from Yuri and see Erza, now dressed in her Heaven's Wheel Armor, standing in the distance. While they are distracted, Yuri takes the opportunity to deliver an attack of his own.

"SEVERING FANG!" Yuri shouted in rage as he pushes their swords back by leaping into the air. The impact of his push sends the two praetors flying into the air. While the three are in midair, Yuri swings his sword downwards, creating a curved blast of white magic and strikes the two praetors with it, sending both of them slamming down onto the floor. Yuri landed back down safely and looks down at his fallen Rune Knights. He closes his eyes for a moment to give a silent prayer before looking back up at Erza, who stood boldly while holding her two winged swords in her hands.

Both of them gave each other a nod when suddenly, another wave of praetors leap into the ship. The squad leader gets up and orders them as he aims his spear at Erza, "Everyone, take them down!"

Sheena suddenly runs past Erza and over to the squad leader. The squad leader watches dumbfounded as Sheena places her hands on his shoulders and jumps into the air. She looks down at him and places a paper onto the front of his helm. Sheena lands back down on the floor behind the squad leader while he tries to get the paper off of his helm but to no avail. She leaps back, landing beside Yuri, and swiftly made several gestures with her fingers and more papers magically appear all over the squad leader's body.

The papers illuminate in purple light before they explode and create a huge cloud of smoke around the hallway. The other praetors cough and look around, trying to regain their vision and find their enemies. However, Sheena runs over to one of them and did a flying kick to his head. Shortly after her feet touch the floor, Sheena did a somersault and places her hands on the ground. She did a handstand, performs a twirling kick and knocks out several praetors around her.

Erza and Yuri also take the opportunity to swing their swords and take down the remaining praetors. When the smoke is cleared, all of the praetors are defeated and Erza, Yuri and Sheena stood together back to back.

"Phew, that was easier than I thought." Sheena smiled as she stretches her arms.

"Look out!" Yuri exclaimed as he sees Mala Makra jumping over to their ship. As Mala prepares to swing his naginata down at them, Erza and Sheena quickly run away to their left while Yuri goes to the right. They turn back to Mala as he lands and slams his naginata down on the floor.

"You had to jinx us, don't you?" Erza chided Sheena as she gets back into her fighting stance.

"How would I know there's one more?!" Sheena snapped at her.

Mala stood up and turns to Erza. "So, you must be Titania." He said.

"Glad to know that I'm a celebrity within the Abbey as well." Erza smirked at him.

Mala turns to Sheena and said, "Judging by your outfit and your fighting skills, you are from Mizuho."

Sheena gasped in shock. The mentioning of her hometown has caused the color on her face to drain. "H-h-how…do you know?" She asked with her voice trembling.

Mala finally turns to Yuri who is also in his battle stance. "And you are Lieutenant Yuri Lowell."

Yuri widens his eyes upon hearing his name. He glares at his enemy again and asked, "How do you know my name?!"

"Let's see if you are truly worthy of your rank." Mala said. He crouches down and holds his weapon up to the level of his head, getting into his fighting stance. Erza and Yuri yell as they charge towards him, but Sheena stood where she is, still frozen in shock.

When they are near and swing their swords vertically at him, Mala stood up and blocks their attacks at the same time with the blades of his naginata. He did a swift twirl, causing Erza and Yuri to back away from him. Mala turns to Erza and twirls his double-edged naginata around, delivering a series of diagonal strikes at her. Erza manages to block every attack he throws at her. But the strength and impact of every strike Mala delivers cause her to back away. Mala manages to knock out one of Erza's winged swords from her hand. After he delivers another diagonal strike at her, Erza quickly grabs the hilt of her remaining sword with both hands and blocks his attack. The two stayed in a brief stalemate until Yuri runs up to Mala from behind.

Mala briefly turns his head to see Yuri thrusting his sword at his back from behind. Mala quickly backs away from Erza and jumps into the air, performing a backwards somersault over Yuri. Yuri stops and lowers his sword before Mala lands back on the floor.

Yuri turns around and swings his sword horizontally at Mala. Mala blocks the attack with the hilt of his naginata. He aims his naginata at Yuri's midsection and thrusts his weapon. Yuri parried and deflects Mala's naginata to the side with his sword. Yuri counter thrusts at Mala, who turns to his right and the attack missed. Mala performs a diagonal downward slash. Yuri swings his sword diagonally upwards and their weapons clash.

"Is that the best you can do?" Mala asked as he and Yuri stayed in a stalemate.

Suddenly, Erza runs up to Mala, holding both of her swords again. She swings her swords diagonally downwards at him. Mala dodges her attack by leaping away from her and Yuri.

Mala suddenly gave a hard pull of the hilt of his naginata, separating the two halves of his weapon into two swords.

Yuri and Erza stare in awe for a brief moment before the latter turns back to Sheena who is still standing there in shock.

"Come on Sheena! Snap out of it!" Erza shouted at her. But she fails to get any response from her.

"I was expecting more from the both of you." Mala said mockingly to his enemies as he gets into a fighting stance with his swords.

"Just you wait." Erza growled as she looks back at him. She and Yuri yell furiously as they charge at him once more.

* * *

"How on Earth Land did the Abbey find us?! And I thought this was going to be a simple escort mission!" Ragou cried exasperatedly as he sat at his desk while his two escorts leave the room.

"Stay in here, councilman. And don't leave." One of the Rune Knights said firmly to him before closing the door.

Shortly afterwards, the Rune Knights get into their battle stances with their spears as they see a group of seven praetors making a turn at the end of the hallway.

"Where is the magicless boy?!" One of the praetors demanded as they hold up their swords.

"We won't tell you anything." One of the Rune Knights replied.

"So be it." The praetor responded. "Attack!"

As the praetors charge towards them, Natsu suddenly appears behind them as he skids through the floor. With a fiendish grin on his face, he slams his fists together and crouches. "Hey guys." He announced. The praetors stop and turn around to see Natsu doing a running jump as he pulls back his right fist which is engulfed with fire. "FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"

Natsu flies over to the praetors and easily took down three of them with a single punch of his flaming fist. After Natsu and the now unconscious praetors land on the floor, the dragon slayer grins as he turns around. "I took down three."

The remaining four praetors run up to Natsu, preparing to attack him with their swords.

"ICE MAKE: FLOOR!" Gray suddenly shouted as he slams his hands onto the ground, creating a large layer of ice across the floor. Natsu jumps away to the side and all four praetors to slip and fall as the ice form beneath their feet.

"Four for me." Gray smirked as he places his hands on the sides of his hip. Natsu turns to him and growls.

"SKY DRAGON'S WAVE WIND!" Wendy cried as she swings her hand and creates a tornado at the praetors, including those who are unconscious. Gray steps aside as the tornado sends the praetors flying towards the wall and slamming them against it.

"And seven for me!" Wendy said cheerfully with a wide smile.

Natsu and Gray frown at her in a mixture of shock and disappointment as they said inside their heads, _'Damn you, Wendy…'_

* * *

Erza swings her right winged sword vertically downwards on Mala, who quickly blocks the attack by holding up his left sword. Erza attempts to swing her other sword horizontally at the side of Mala's torso. However, Mala quickly blocks the strike with his right gauntlet. He pushes Erza's left sword away and thrusts his right sword at her midsection. Erza leaps back to dodge his attack and Yuri runs past her.

"AZURE STORM!" Yuri shouted, swinging his sword vertically twice and firing two magical blasts at Mala. Mala twirls his swords around to deflect the blasts. After the blasts dissipate, Mala swings his swords horizontally at them.

"DESTRUCTIVE FIELD!" He boomed as two horizontal waves of explosions erupted from the floor and head towards Erza, Yuri and Sheena like a tidal wave. Yuri turns around and grabs hold of Sheena while Erza stood in front of them and swings both of her swords in a delta formation.

"TRINITY SWORD!" Erza shouted, firing two curved magical blasts that formed a giant V towards Mala's attack. The two magical attacks collide, creating a large cloud of smoke that consumes the hallway.

Yuri coughs for a moment before nudging Sheena's shoulder. "Sheena! I don't know why you are spacing out all of the sudden, but I need you to pull yourself together! Help us out!" Yuri shouted in her ear.

After finally regaining her senses, Sheena shakes her head and looks back at Yuri dumbfounded. Yuri sighs in relief. Yuri turns his head around and sees Mala running up to Erza and swiftly knock both of her winged swords out from her hands. Erza gasps as Mala proceeds to thrust his swords at her midsection.

Suddenly, Sheena appears between them and swiftly grabs Mala's wrists, stopping him from stabbing Erza by only a few inches. Mala turns to Sheena in shock and the woman growls at him.

"I will not…let anyone get hurt!" Sheena yelled furiously. To the surprise of Mala, Erza and Yuri, Sheena gave the knight's arm a twist, tosses him to the floor and slams him down on his back.

Mala quickly recovers from the blow and rolls away from Sheena and Erza. He gets up from the floor and holds up his swords. But to his surprise again, Sheena magically summons her paper and throws it at his chest.

Sheena charges towards the knight and Mala prepares to swing his swords horizontally back at her. "DESTRUCTIVE-" Before he could finish announcing, Sheena jumps into the air, performs a somersault and delivers a downward vertical kick onto his head.

Mala stumbles backwards after Sheena kicks the top of his head and lands back down on the floor. Sheena suddenly charges up to him and performs a series of horizontal kicks across his face. After deliver one last kick across his face, Sheena yells as she thrusts her fingers onto the paper on the chest. Sheena leaps away and Mala gasped right before the paper explodes, sending him falling to the floor on his back. When the smoke is cleared, Sheena turns her head back at her opponent lying on the ground.

Mala groans as he gets up from the floor and holds up his swords, getting back into his fighting stance.

"I will not…lose to-" Mala is interrupted when a praetor leaps into the ship and swings what appears to be a large demonic claw down onto Sheena. Sheena leaps back from the praetor in time before she brought it down onto where she originally stood, leaving a huge mark.

The praetor gets up and turns to Sheena, Erza and Yuri as she stood in front of Mala. She is dressed to the other praetors, but with different colors. She wears a short blue cape, grey long-sleeved leather robes with yellow highlights and blue bands around the top of her long grey and yellow right glove. She wears a silver metallic gauntlet around her right forearm, black pants, grey long legged boots and silver metallic sabatons. Unlike the other praetors, she doesn't wear a helm, revealing her face, gold-brown eyes and her long black hair tied to a wide and messy braid. But what is most distinguishable about her is that her entire left arm was huge, long and goes all the way down to her lower legs. The arm has jagged edges protruding her fingers and forearm and it is colored black on the exterior and blood red underneath.

"What is this?" Erza uttered as she, Sheena and Yuri gaze at the praetor's demonic claw in awe.

"I don't need your help, Velvet Crowe!" Mala yelled as he lowers his swords.

"I was getting tired of watching your ass kicked by these scoundrels." Velvet replied as she turns to Mala. She snorted before finishing, "And you call yourself a captain." Velvet turns her head back to Erza, Sheena and Yuri, who all get back into their fighting stances.

"I would fight with you, but our time is precious." Velvet deadpanned. She curls the sharp fingers of her demonic arm into a large fist before turning to the wall and throws a punch at it, creating a huge opening that leads to the engine room.

"Let's go find the magicless man already!" Velvet barked at Mala before the two run their way into the engine room.

"Magicless man?" Sheena uttered as she, Erza and Yuri widen their eyes.

"They are after Darren!" Erza yelled in alarm. "STOP THEM!"

Before Erza, Sheena and Yuri could enter through the opening; Mala turns around, swings his swords horizontally at the ceiling and shouted, "DESTRUCTIVE SLASH!"

Two strong gusts of wind slash at the ceiling. It is followed by several explosions at the ceiling, which causes a pile of debris to fall in front of Erza, Sheena and Yuri and block the opening.

"This way!" Yuri yelled. The three turn to their left and run down the hallway.

Meanwhile, Velvet and Mala make their way to the other side of the engine room. Velvet punches her demonic fist through the wall again and created another opening, leading to the hallway at the other side of the ship.

* * *

Natsu, Gray, Wendy and the two Rune Knights run down the hallway until they see Velvet and Mala Makra heading to the door that leads to the room where Darren, Lucy and the exceeds are taking refuge.

"They are trying to get to Darren! That's why they are here!" Wendy cried.

"Come on!" Natsu yelled before he, Gray, Wendy and the knights dash their way over to the two.

Velvet kicks the door open to their room, startling Lucy, Darren, Happy and Carla. As Velvet and Mala nonchalantly walk into the room, Lucy jolts up from the bed and grits her teeth as she draws out one of her Celestial Spirit keys.

Velvet and Mala turn their heads to Darren, who holds up his scabbard and firmly grasps it. Despite their size, Happy and Carla place themselves in front of Darren, trying to protect him from the praetors.

"That's him." Velvet said, narrowing her eyes at Darren.

As she and Mala approach Darren, Lucy shouted as she swings her key upwards, "I CALLED UPON THEE-"

Within a second, Velvet swiftly charges towards Lucy and grabs her raised arm with her demonic claw. Lucy cries in pain as Velvet tightens her grip.

"Please…don't waste my time." Velvet said icily with a mixture of anger and irritation.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried as he, Gray, Wendy and the Rune Knights enter the room. Velvet whirls about and tosses Lucy over to them. Lucy screams as she is thrown through air and Natsu catches her in his arms. As Natsu skids through the floor backwards, Gray, Wendy and the Rune Knights run past him and Lucy.

The Rune Knights aim their spears at Mala and charge towards him. Darren watches as Mala turns around and swings his right sword diagonally, breaking the tip of one of the knight's spear. He swiftly thrusts his left sword at the knight and stabs him through the chest. Darren froze in horror as he watched a man being killed in front of him.

As the other knight runs up to him, Mala delivers a massive kick to his abdomen. The knight yelps in pain as he backs away. Mala removes the sword from the knight's chest and swings both of his swords vertically at the other knight, slashing his body from top to bottom.

As both Rune Knights collapse onto the floor, Gray yells in rage as he charges towards Mala and swings his ice sword horizontally at him. Mala Makra holds up both of his swords diagonally to block his attack.

Wendy jumps into the air and generates wind around her feet. "Sky Dragon's Claw!" Wendy exclaimed as she did a continuous somersault towards Velvet. Velvet swings back her right arm, withdrawing a long sharp blade from the bottom of her right gauntlet. She swiftly holds the blade in front of her face and blocks Wendy's attack as the Dragon Slayer swings her feet down on her weapon.

Wendy leaps back and while in mid-air, continues to do a few twirling kicks at Velvet, who blocks her attacks with her blade. Velvet swings her demonic claw at Wendy and grabs her leg, much to her shock. Velvet yells as she turns and swings her claw down, slamming Wendy onto the floor and causing her to cry in pain.

"Wendy!" Darren and Carla both cried in horror as they watch the young girl getting hurt.

Mala lets loose a series of strikes at Gray, who can barely keep up with him to block his attacks with his ice sword. However, Mala manages to thrusts his sword and slashes past Gray's right shoulder. Gray cries in pain as he lowers his sword and grabs his shoulder wound. Mala takes the opportunity to deliver a massive kick to his chest which sends Gray falling to the floor on his back.

Lucy throws her whip at Velvet and wraps it around her right arm. Velvet turns her head to see Lucy pulling her whip to restrain her while Natsu charges towards her with a flaming fist. He lets out a furious yell as he pulls his flaming fist back.

Velvet responds by ducking down and sliding her leg across the floor, sweeping Natsu's feet off from the ground when he got near her. As Natsu falls, Velvet jumps through the air and twirls several times before landing in front of Lucy. Lucy gasped as Velvet swings back her right arm, pulling the whip out of her hand. As the whip loosens around her right arm and drops onto the floor, Velvet approaches Lucy with a cold glare.

Darren gasped as he sees Lucy backing away from Velvet in fear. Happy and Carla flies up to Mala and grabs his arms. But Mala easily swings his arms and tosses the exceeds away from him. Darren turns back to Mala as he approaches him with both swords in his hands.

"Your friends are pathetic and useless, just like you. But you come with us; we will not only spare your life, but also make you a far stronger person than they ever were." Mala said.

Darren rolls his eyes and chuckled nervously. "If you are going to use the Darth Vader dialogue on me, no thanks. I'm better off with them." He replied to Mala.

"Fine." Mala boomed. He holds up one of his swords and prepares to deliver a downward vertical strike at Darren's right arm. "Perhaps cutting off your arm will change your mind!"

"Aaaahhh!" Darren cried as he turns his head away and holds up the scabbard in front of him right before Mala swings down his sword on it.

To the surprise of everyone present in the room, the scabbard briefly illuminate with bright white light and the clash created an impact that sends Mala flying through the air and across the room.

"What?!" Velvet turns her head for a brief moment before Mala collided against her and they both drop to the floor.

Natsu growls as he gets up from the floor.

"Lucy! Stand back!" Natsu yelled at his friend. Lucy obliged and runs away while Natsu places his fists in front his mouth. His cheeks enlarge and he blows out a large and powerful blast of fire at Velvet and Mala while they are down.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu bellowed. The blast sends Velvet and Mala flying through the doorway and crash through several walls. They were then thrown out of the Magic Council ship and crash through the side of their own ship.

The two praetors crash into the engine room of their ship and slam against the main engine. This causes the engine to malfunction and several explosions began erupting around their ship.

Back at the Magic Council ship, Wendy cried as she rushes over to Gray's side, "Gray!"

Gray kneels on the floor in pain as he grabs onto his shoulder wound. Wendy gently removes his hand and places her own hands onto his wound. She closes her eyes as teal light illuminates from her hands and Gray's wound closes up.

"Are you okay, Darren?" Happy asked as he and Carla flies up to him.

"Y-y-yeah…" Darren struggled to say, still feeling traumatized by his encounter with Mala and witnessing the death of two Rune Knights in front of his eyes.

"Darren!" Erza yelled as she, Sheena and Yuri entered the room. They see two Rune Knights lying dead on the floor. But thankfully, Darren is still alive, along with the rest of Team Natsu.

"Where are the praetors?" Yuri asked.

"We defeated them." Lucy replied.

"We totally kick their ass-WOAH!" Natsu gets cut off when their ship rumbled and tilts to the side, causing everyone to yell as they stumble over.

"Are we going down?" Lucy asked as everyone regains their balance.

Natsu tilts his head to the side and sees both the Magic Council and Abbey ships heading towards the ground through the several holes he had created. He turns back to Lucy and replied, "Yes. We are."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Everyone present in the room suddenly scream in terror as they latch onto whatever is beside them and hang on for their dear lives as both ships tilt to the side and plummet through the air.

A few moments later, the Abbey ship crash onto the ground and slide through the forest along with the Magic Council ship still latched onto its starboard.

* * *

After a minute had pass, everyone present in the resting room cough heavily as the thick smoke around them dissipates. Erza gets up and looks around. "Is everyone alright?!" She asked in alarm. Darren, Sheena, Yuri and Team Natsu got up as well.

"I'm fine." Darren responded.

"Me too." Natsu said.

"So am I." Lucy added.

"I'm good." Gray said.

"Same." Sheena said.

"I've been through worse." Yuri replied.

"We're good!" Wendy cried as she, Happy and Carla raise their hands, and paws.

Erza sighs in relief and leans against the wall beside her. "What a day." She muttered.

"LIEUTENANT LOWELL! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" A familiar voice shouted.

Yuri groans and rolls his eyes before turning his head. Behind Darren were several gashes on the metal wall that formed during the crash. Everyone in the room could see Ragou standing behind the wall through the gashes as he bellows at them.

"FAIRY TAIL! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! ALL OF THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF YOU! AND YOU TOO, LIEUTENANT LOWELL! YOU SHALL HOLD RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS TOO! HOW ON EARTH LAND ARE WE GOING BACK TO ERA NOW?! YOU GUYS BETTER THINK OF SOMETHING-"

As Ragou continues his mad rumbling, Erza and Yuri pout and turn to each other.

* * *

"FAIRY TAIL! LIEUTENANT LOWELL! RELEASE ME THIS INSTANCE! HOW DARE YOU TIE ME UP LIKE THIS?! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! I'M A MEMBER OF THE MAGIC COUNCIL AND I CAN CHARGE YOU ALL FOR THIS!"

As Ragou continues shouting in rage while being tied up to a tree, Darren, Sheena, Yuri and Team Natsu walk away from him and the crash site, continuing their journey through the wilderness on foot.

"Now that's something we should have done earlier." Natsu grins in satisfaction as he places his hands at the back of his head.

"He can go ahead and charge us if he wants. We're used to it anyway." Erza said with a smirk while Yuri unties his ribbon, letting his long dark purple hair flow freely down to the middle of his back.

Yuri huffs and said as he puts away his ribbon, "And this is why I hate the magic council."

* * *

Meanwhile, after managing to escape before their ship crashed along with the Magic Council ship, Velvet and Mala are resting at the other side of the forest. Velvet yells in frustration as she slams her demonic fist against the trunk of a tall tree. Moments later, her demonic arm transforms back into a normal human arm, wrapped with several bandages.

"I can't believe we would lose to them!" Velvet shouted. She pulls back and lowers her fist as she turns to Mala, who is currently sitting and leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree with his hands clutching the sides of his head and helmet.

"No! We couldn't have failed! We couldn't!" Mala cried, trembling in fear. "She's going to punish me! I know she will!"

Velvet glares at Mala, not caring about the pathetic display her fellow praetor is displaying right now. Suddenly, she felt her lacrima ball vibrating inside her pocket. She gets it out and activates it.

"Sir." Velvet said flatly.

"Lieutenant Crowe, have you and Captain Makra captured the magicless boy?" The man at the other side of the line inquired.

"Unfortunately, no." Velvet said reluctantly. "We failed to capture our target. Fairy Tail was with him."

"I see." The man replied, his voice filled with disdain. "Return back to HQ immediately."

"Yes sir, Commandant Alexei." Velvet replied before deactivating her lacrima ball and putting it away. She lowers her head and grits her teeth as she clenches her fists tightly. "Damn you, Fairy Tail."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank aquabluey for reviewing, SkylarDahElf for favoriting and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story! Thanks guys! This will be my last story update of 2018. So to everyone, I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year, and see you all again in 2019! :D**

Chapter Updated on 16th January 2019


	4. Moving Forward

_**Moving Forward**_

After putting away his lacrima, a silver-haired man, dressed in a light brown uniform, gray pants and silver metal pauldrons, gauntlets and greaves, turns to Maroro and his thugs who are kneeling on the road outside of the restaurant with their hands behind their heads. Several praetors surround and aiming their weapons at them. The employees watch in fear as they stood behind the praetors and at the entrance of the restaurant.

"Maroro, not only have you let our target escape from your grasp, but your mistake has also humiliated my best soldiers in the process." The man said icily as his scowl brought fear into Maroro.

"Commandant Alexei, I'm so sorry! But this is all Fairy Tail's fault! None of this would happen if they hadn't shown up!" Maroro cried. Alexei walks up to Maroro and kneels down to his level. Maroro breathed heavily in fear as the commandant gazes back at him.

"Blaming your mistakes on others." Alexei snorted. "You are a disgrace to men." He stood up and turns to his soldiers. "Kill them all."

Maroro and his thugs gasped as the praetors obliged their superior. They walk over to the thugs and thrust their swords and spears into their chests, causing the restaurant's employees to scream in horror. After the thugs slump onto the floor, Maroro looks up and sees a tall red-haired man walking past Alexei and over to him. The man wears a white patrol cap, red scarf, white long-sleeved jacket with a light blue shirt underneath, black gloves, a black belt with a silver square buckle, dark green pants and black boots.

When the man is near Maroro, he swiftly punches him across his face, sending him falling to the floor. Maroro moans in agony for a moment before he felt the man turning his body to face him. As the man towers above him, he kneels down, pulls back his fist, and proceeds to punch his face continuously and mercilessly.

As Maroro cries in pain with every brutal punch the man gave him, Alexei places his hands behind his back and turns to the employees who look back at him in horror, fearing for their lives.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you!" Alexei barked at them. "Anyone who _dares_ displease the Abbey will be dealt with severely! No trial! No hesitation! And no mercy!"

Alexei looks down at the tall man who kneels above the now lifeless Maroro, lying dead on the ground. The man nonchalantly wipes off the blood from his gloves, looks back at Alexei and gave him a solemn nod. The commandant looks back at the praetors.

"Let's move!" Alexei orders his men. The man gets up as he and the praetors follow Alexei from behind and make their departure.

Unbeknownst to them, Mickey Chickentiger and Pii-chan had been watching them while standing behind the corner of a building far away from the restaurant. Mickey looks up when Pii-chan chirped in fear and worry. She gave her bird a gentle pat on its head before she turns her head away and frown.

' _Darren, Team Natsu, I hope all of you are safe.'_

* * *

Lucy took lead of the group as she, Yuri, Sheena, Darren and the rest of Team Natsu walk through the forest. With their ship gone and all of their devices they could have use to contact the Magic Council destroyed during the crash, everyone has no choice but to continue their journey to Era on foot. The lacrimas that Yuri and Erza use are unfortunately short-range and Lucy's map is the only thing they have that can give them the directions to Era. To make things worse, they currently don't have any food and water with them. Thankfully according to Lucy's map, there is a town known as Halure that is the nearest to their current location and they decide to go there to have their rest and restock their supplies.

"As long as we keep going north, we should Halure sooner or later." Lucy said to everyone while staring down at her map.

"I wonder how Ragou is doing right now though." Wendy pondered as she looks skyward.

"Oh don't worry about him. Even though he was annoying, we are still not heartless. I left him my lacrima so that he can still use it to contact any traveler within his range." Yuri explained to her.

Natsu turns his head around and notices Darren walking slowly at the very back of the group while staring down at his scabbard. Ever since the crash, Darren has been awfully silent throughout their journey to Era, causing Natsu to worry about him.

"Hey Darren, are you alright?" Natsu asked in concern.

"What?" Darren momentarily snaps out of his thoughts and looks up at Natsu and the others. "Yeah um…well…not really um…I need a break."

Everyone stops as Darren turns to his left and sees a log lying on the ground nearby. He walks over to it, turns around and sits down on the log.

The others look at each other in concern for a moment before Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza and Wendy go over to him.

"Hey there, are you alright?" Gray asked Darren as Team Natsu stood in front of him.

"Back at the ship…I saw those guys…dying right in front of me." Darren said as his eyes grew cold. "Killed by the people who are trying to hunt me down." He tightens his grip around his scabbard. "Why am I here? Why am I so unfortunate to be one of the many people who are transported here? And why am I given this sacred weapon? I don't know why Mavis chose me of all people to be some destined hero. I'm just an average guy who just wants to be in his room not having a care for the world." Everyone stare wordlessly at him as Darren took a gulp. "The point is…I'm scared. I don't know why I'm here and I'm afraid of dying here. I…I just want to go home."

Darren rubs his eyes and furiously fights back the urge to go into a mental breakdown. As he sat there, staring down at his scabbard and settled into a state of contemplation, Natsu walks closer to him a few moments later.

"Hey." Natsu simply said.

"What?" Darren replied dully. Suddenly, his eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets as he felt a pair of hands tickling furiously at the sides of his torso.

"TICKLE TICKLE TICKLE TICKLE TICKLE TICKLE TICKLE!" Natsu squealed.

"AHAHAHAHAHA! STOP IT! HAHAHA! WHAT ARE YOU, A MANCHILD?! JUST STOP!" Darren pleaded as he desperately tried to squirm his way out of his grip. Eventually, Natsu removes his hands and Darren stood up. He wipes away the small tears of joy from his eyes before looking back at Natsu and his team.

"Cheer up, will ya?" Natsu grins with his hands placed at the sides of his hip. "And it's okay. We know how you feel."

"We all had our emotional moments in our lives." Lucy added. "For me, it was learning that both my father and mother are gone."

"For me, it was witnessing the deaths of my guardian, and my father." Gray said solemnly.

"For me, it was losing my mother Grandeneey, and my previous guild master Roubaul." Wendy said frowning.

"For me, it was living with the trauma of being a slave in the Tower of Heaven." Erza said with her eyes softened.

"And for me, it was losing my father Igneel." Natsu said grimly. Soon after, his frown quickly turns into a wide smirk as he looks back at Darren. "But do you know what makes us strong and happy again? It's by knowing that you still have friends who truly care for you."

"You still have Sheena. And now you have us too." Lucy said reassuringly as she smiles at Darren.

"Darren, I know you are scared, and I know how it feels. I too share the same feeling before. But we vow to take you back home safely no matter what." Erza said with her hand placed above her chest.

"That's right! We are the number 1 guild in Fiore after all! So no mission is impossible for us!" Natsu grins as he firmly places his right fist against his muscular chest.

"Aye!" Wendy agreed as she nods her head with a wide smile. Darren stares back at them with his eyes wide, overwhelmed with his gratefulness towards Team Natsu. A few moments later, he chuckles as he wipes his eyes again.

"Sorry um, I got dust in my eyes." Darren said before smiling back at Team Natsu. "But in all seriousness, thanks. You guys are awesome."

Natsu firmly places his hand on Darren's shoulder as Lucy, Gray, Erza and Wendy gather around him. Sheena, Yuri, Happy and Carla smile as they watch them from a distance.

"Even though they are troublemakers, they still know how to cheer someone up." Yuri said to Sheena.

Sheena sighs and turns her head away. "I wish I could be as strong as them." She murmured with a frown.

* * *

Lucy continues escorting the group through the forest as night falls. As they walk, Darren lets out a yawn as his eyes felt heavy.

"Jeez, I gotta admit that I'm getting really tired now." Darren said wearily. His comment was followed up by a loud growl.

"And I'm starving." Natsu moans as he slouches over and clutches his stomach.

"Me too." Happy added.

"And I seriously need a shower!" Sheena cried as she throws her head back and frantically flaps her hand besides her face.

"Lucy, how much longer do we have to travel?" Carla asked Lucy.

"Shouldn't be any longer now." Lucy said while gazing at her map.

"But we have been travelling for hours!" Gray yelled.

"Come on guys! I'm tired too! My boots are killing me!" Lucy cried back as she turns to the others.

"I hope you weren't actually looking at the map upside down." Happy said.

"NO I'M NOT!" Lucy shrieked.

"Yes, she isn't." Yuri said as he takes a closer look at the map while walking beside Lucy.

Lucy sighs in relief and said to Yuri, "Thank you, Lieutenant."

"But if we don't reach there soon, I'm blaming my death on you." Yuri glares at her.

"Oh come on! Isn't there anyone here who isn't whining?!" Lucy shouted exasperatedly.

Erza shakes her head before turning to Sheena. "By the way, you were a pretty good fighter back there, Sheena. You have our thanks for providing your assistance in battle."

"Yeah, it's no problem at all. I'm just happy to help out." Sheena smirked at her.

"But you were completely frozen when that praetor mentioned you were from Mizuho." Erza said.

Sheena's smile instantly vanished as she stares blankly at Erza. She lowers her head and mumbled, "He's right. I'm from Mizuho. Or I used to."

"What?" Darren said incredulously. "Sheena, I've always thought you were from Underwood. Why didn't you tell me about your actual hometown?"

"Because I never wanted to." Sheena replied.

"That's the same answer you gave me when I asked why you didn't want me to know about Fairy Tail!" Darren chided. "Why are you hiding things from me?"

"Look, even though we are friends, there are still some things that I don't want to talk about, alright?" Sheena snapped at Darren with her eyes narrowed.

"Hey look! What's over there?" Gray asked, pointing his finger at the trees on the left.

"Huh?" Sheena said in bewilderment as she turns to the direction he was pointing. During that moment of distraction, Gray took the opportunity to place his hand on Sheena's right shoulder and pulls down her sleeve.

"HEY!" Sheena squealed as she turns back to Gray with her cheeks blushing crimson. Darren drops his jaw dumbfounded as he gazes at the beautiful skin of Sheena's back and shoulder.

"Ah ha!" Gray cried triumphantly as he sees a black tattoo on the back of Sheena's right shoulder. Everyone stop as Sheena slaps Gray's hand away from her shoulder and hurriedly pulls her sleeve back up. But Erza had already noticed it.

"That's the symbol of Phantom Lord!" Erza realized aloud. Natsu, Lucy and Happy gasped.

"Is that true?" Lucy asked. Sheena sighs heavily before turning around and pulls down her right sleeve, revealing her guild tattoo to everyone around her.

"Sheena! You were in a guild?" Darren asked incredulously.

"And in Phantom Lord no less." Natsu said.

"Yes." Sheena murmured, lowering her head in shame. "The same guild that destroyed your home."

"We know that. Every guild does." Gray said.

"Don't get the wrong idea." Sheena said as she pulls up her sleeve again and turns around. "Jose Porla deserved to be punished for what he did to your headquarters nine years ago. I was only ten back then when I join them. And even though being a member in that guild was tough, I still felt like I had a place where I belong after leaving Mizuho. That is until I realize how despicable Jose Porla and the other members truly are when they instigated a war with Fairy Tail, harming so many of your friends and destroying your headquarters. When the battle between your guild and Phantom Lord broke out, I chose to defect and stay away from the fights. I felt hurt and betrayed by everyone whom I thought were a family to me. Instead, they turn out to be nothing but monsters who only desire harm and revenge against Fairy Tail. I never regret my decision to leave Phantom Lord, but of course it made me homeless and alone again."

"I'm so sorry, Sheena. You didn't deserve it." Lucy said sympathetically.

"Aye. That bastard Jose Porla failed to notice that the war not only brought harm to us, but to his own guild as well." Natsu added.

"Sheena, why don't you join us?" Erza asked with a warm smile. "Juvia Lockser and Gajeel Redfox used to be part of your guild, but they have since changed their ways and became members of Fairy Tail."

"I know. I saw them on lacrima during the Grand Magic Games two years ago. But I have no intention of joining another guild." Sheena said. "I made the decision to stay alone after everything that had happened to me, and I'm sticking with it."

"Sheena…" Darren uttered.

Suddenly, Natsu's eyes widened as he detected an unusual smell. He sniffed and said to his exceed friend, "Happy, did you smell that?"

Happy lifts his head up and sniffed. "Yeah Natsu, I smell it too!" He said.

"What's going on?" Yuri asked in confusion. Natsu and Happy continue sniffing as they turn to the trees on the right. Their eyes soon grew as wide as saucers as huge smiles take form on their faces.

"We smell food!" Natsu and Happy both shouted enthusiastically as they pump their fists into the air.

"Really?" Darren asked.

"Then that means Halure isn't far from us now." Lucy said.

"Actually, the smell came from there!" Natsu yelled as he points at the trees.

"Aye!" Happy added. The others turn their heads to the right in bewilderment before Natsu and Happy made a mad dash to the trees.

"What the?! Hey! Wait for us, blockheads!" Gray snapped before everyone run after them.

"Why exactly are you guys heading that way?! We are going off-course!" Lucy cried as she puts away her map.

Everyone raced after Natsu and Happy through the forest as they weave around the trees. Eventually, they caught up with the two and they see Natsu and Happy staring at some fried drumsticks and fish laying on the grass.

"Ahahahahaha, food! Scrumptious, delicious food!" Natsu smiles greedily as he and Happy gaze at the food before them.

"Mmm! Those fish look delicious! I can't wait to eat them!" Happy said as he rubs his stomach.

"Guys! Are you seriously thinking of eating all that food from the ground?! Gross!" Lucy cried as she gave a grimace of disgust.

"And don't you guys find it even the tiny bit suspicious that these food are just lying there on the ground?!" Darren asked.

"Probably some traveler dropped them from his backpack, but who cares?! I'm famished!" Natsu yelled back at them as he stomps his foot.

"Me too!" Happy shouted.

"Let's dive right in, Happy!" Natsu yelled ecstatically at his friend.

"You got it!" Happy agreed.

"WAIT!" Erza shouted as she extends her arm, trying to reach out to them. But it was too late as Natsu and Happy runs over to the food, kneels down and they grab two drumsticks and a fish respectively.

"Let's eat!" Natsu cheered. But before he and Happy could take a bite out of their food, they immediately look puzzled as they felt the ground underneath them begin to shake. And before they knew it, Natsu and Happy scream in terror as a net sprung up below their feet and yanks them up into the air.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled in shock.

"Happy!" Wendy cried.

"Ahhh! What just happened?!" Natsu yelled incredulously as he and Happy find themselves trapped inside a net hanging below a branch of the large tree beside them.

"Somebody! Help us! We're trapped!" Happy cried in horror as he and Natsu squirm around inside the net and struggle to break free.

As the others look up at them, Darren groans as he places his hand over his face. "I knew something like this would happen. I watch cartoons all the time after all."

"Wow, bravo." Gray said sarcastically as he slowly claps his hands. "Way a go, Natsu. Once again, you have proven to be the biggest idiot in all of Earth Land."

"Will you shut up and just get us down?!" Natsu shouted at Gray in annoyance.

"You guys honestly deserve it." Sheena commented as she glares at them.

"Hey! Who are you people?!"

Natsu and Happy immediately fall silent as they turn their heads and look down. Darren and the others also look to their front and see a young woman running over to them. When she came to a halt, everyone takes a good look at her. The woman has long blonde hair that flows down to her waist, green eyes and wears a sleeveless green zipper shirt with a white sleeveless v-collar shirt underneath it, a brown belt with a silver buckle, dark grey shorts, black stockings with red outlines and white boots. She also has a brown sling bag over her left shoulder.

The woman looks up at Natsu and Happy who are trapped inside the net. She snorted and said with her hands placed at the sides of her hip, "Great. I made that trap in hopes of capturing an eggbear. But instead, I ended up catching two idiots who actually think the food I laid there is for them."

"Hey! Who are you calling an idiot?!" Natsu snapped at the woman.

"Um, excuse me, but who are you?" Lucy asked. The woman looks back at her and the others. She chuckled as she pushes some strands of hair away from her eyes.

"Sorry. I forgot to give myself an introduction." She said. "My name is Alicia. Alicia Ribery."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank aquabluey for reviewing, Perith99 for following and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**

 **I apologize if this chapter is shorter than expected but right now, I'm dealing with a lot of difficult matters in my personal life. Hopefully, things will get better so that I can continue writing this story on a regular schedule again. Hope you guys understand my situation and thanks for sticking with me.**


	5. Halure, Part 1

_**Halure, Part 1**_

"Sorry that we accidentally activated your trap. But would you kindly let our friends down?" Wendy asked Alicia.

"Sure." Alicia replied before drawing out a machete from her back. She swiftly turns to Natsu and Happy and throws the machete at the rope tied around the branch. The machete cuts through the rope, sending both Natsu and Happy plummeting through the air and landing on the ground with a hard thud.

"OWW!" Natsu and Happy both yelled in pain before removing the net off of them.

"Aw jeez, my butt hurts!" Natsu whined as he sits up and rubs his butt. "Couldn't you get us down in a less painful way?"

"If it doesn't kill you, you'll be fine." Alicia smirked at him.

"Need help getting your machete, Alicia?" Carla asked, pointing at the machete that is now stabbed through the branch. "I can fly over there and-"

"It's okay. I can get it down myself." Alicia said before getting out a yo-yo from her sling bag.

"Yo-yo?" Darren arches an eyebrow. Alicia swings her yo-yo at the machete and wraps it around the blade. She gave a hard pull, freeing the machete from the branch. She holds up her hand and grabs the machete by its hilt as it flies back to her.

"So who are you guys? And what are you all doing here?" Alicia asked as she puts away her machete and yo-yo. After Natsu and Happy get up from the ground, everyone begin introducing themselves.

"My name is Natsu Dragneel. Nice to meet ya."

"I'm Happy!"

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

"Gray Fullbuster."

"Erza Scarlet."

"Wendy Marvell."

"Carla."

"I'm Lieutenant Yuri Lowell."

"Sheena Fujibayashi."

"And I'm Darren Leong. And we are here because-" Darren cuts himself off when his stomach made a loud rumble. He blushes as Alicia laughed in response.

"I get it. You guys must be travelling for a long time and now you're all famished." Alicia turns and gestures them to follow her. "Come on. I'll take you guys to the town of Halure, which thankfully isn't far away from here."

* * *

Upon entering the town of Halure, Darren, Sheena, Yuri and Team Natsu look around their surroundings in awe. The small town consists of several small buildings and houses. But what makes the place look exquisite and unique from the other towns was that it is built around an enormous tree, with its gigantic roots making up the hills and slopes around the area. The townspeople made use of the terrain by building their houses and buildings on top of the roots and slopes, with most of them having small stairs in front of the entrances.

Shortly after entering the town, the group is approached by two figures. One of them is a small boy with spiky brown hair, brown eyes and dressed in a red scarf around his neck, a white and light green short-sleeved shirt with a black long-sleeved shirt underneath it, white gloves, dark tan pants, a blue belt and black shoes. The other is a tall woman with light purple hair that is tied to a bun, two light blue 'tails' at the bottom back of her head, purple eyes, two pointed ears and dressed in a blue and yellow chest armor which exposes most of her lower body, a white short-sleeved shirt, white gloves, blue and white waistcloths, and blue boots.

"Alicia! You're back!" The boy said as he and the woman goes over to Alicia. "Did you catch the eggbear?"

"Hey Karol." Alicia replied as she looks down on him. "Sorry but I didn't. Instead, I ended up catching these guys." She gestured to Team Natsu and the others.

"Two of us literally." Natsu muttered.

"You can have your machete back, Judith." Alicia said as she hands the machete to the light purple-haired woman.

"Thanks Alicia. Maybe you'll have better luck next time." Judith said with a soft smile as she takes back her weapon from Alicia and sheathes it into the scabbard around her left thigh. When she looks back up, Judith notices that Darren is gazing steadily at her with his mouth slightly agape. Judith chuckled as she places her hands at her hips and tilts her head slightly to the side. "So, who are you supposed to be?"

"I um…I er…um…" Darren stuttered, struggling to respond as he couldn't help but continue gazing at Judith's beautiful face and body. The sight of her beauty however has also given three other women who are standing near Darren a mixture of shock and envy.

"Damn…that is one beautiful body she has. She will probably give Mira a run for her money." Erza murmured as she stares at Judith with her eyes wide.

"Tch. She probably wears fewer clothes because she is a showoff." Sheena scoffed with her arms folded. She turns her head away and murmured to herself, "And a slut."

"T-t-those…t-t-things…" Lucy stammered, shaking uncontrollably as she gazes at Judith's enormous…assets. _'M-Mine are c-clearly bigger…r-right? Right? RIGHT?!'_

"Um, Lucy? Are you okay?" Wendy asked in concern, noticing the blonde-haired mage shaking frantically with her arms wrapped around her body and underneath her cleavage.

"Of course I'm fine!" Lucy responded, turning to the small girl with her eye twitching. Wendy cringed and inches away from her. "I'm totally fine as I can be! Heheheheheheh!"

"Wendy, can your healing cure brain damage?" Carla whispered into Wendy's ear as she floats to her level.

"I-I-I c-c-ould try…" Wendy replied stuttering.

"I-I-I'm Darren Leong. It's nice to meet you." Darren said when he finally regains his ability to speak. He extends out his hand and Judith grabs it.

"Nice to meet you, Darren. I'm Judith." Judith greeted as she shakes his hand. Darren chuckled and blushed, feeling the warmth of her hand.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel." Natsu grins as he jabs his thumb onto his muscular chest.

"Happy!" Happy greeted.

"Carla." Carla said with a nod.

"I'm Wendy Marvell." Wendy smiled as she raises her hand.

"L-L-Lucy H-Heartf-filia." Lucy stammered as she also holds up her hand while trying to regain her composure.

"Gray Fullbuster." Gray simply said.

"Erza Scarlet." Erza said with a solemn nod.

"Lieutenant Yuri Lowell." Yuri said as he placed his fist on his chest.

"And I'm Sheena Fujibayashi." Sheena said dully while still glaring at Judith.

"Nice to meet all of you! I'm Karol Capel!" Karol grins at them while placing his fists at the sides of his hip. "I'm sure you guys already know Judith and Alicia Ribery." Judith and Alicia smile and wave their hands at them as they stood beside the boy. "And we make up the guild known as Brave Vesperia!"

"Just the three of you?" Erza asked.

"Well, there are four of us actually but she's in the town square right now attending to the civilians." Judith answered.

"Speaking of, how are the civilians right now?" Alicia asked Karol in concern.

"Most of them are fine now, thanks to her healing magic. But she is getting tired herself." Karol replied.

Alicia sighed. "I already told her not to push herself too hard." She turns back to the others. "Sorry guys but we have to attend to our friend and the townspeople. At the meantime, you guys can just hang around here and make yourselves comfortable."

"What? No way." Natsu said flatly. "If you said that there are people here who need help, we're not going to turn a blind eye."

"Right. Let us help too." Lucy added as she places her hand on her chest. Alicia, Karol and Judith stare at them questioningly for a moment before they solemnly nod their heads.

"Very well. Follow us." Karol said solemnly.

Everyone head deeper into the town of Halure. To the surprise and concern of Darren, Sheena, Yuri and Team Natsu, the town square is filled with several people sitting around on the ground and benches with their heads lowered in sorrow and misery. Some of them are also lying on the ground and have bandages wrapped around their heads and limbs. The few townspeople who are still fine are trying their best to aid those who are injured.

"What happened here?" Happy asked.

"This town recently suffered an invasion from the Abbey." Judith replied.

"The Abbey?!" Erza said incredulously as she turns to Brave Vesperia.

"Yeah. Thankfully, there was another guild here that protected this town from the invaders. But many civilians still got hurt during the fight." Alicia said grimly.

"Long before any of this happened though; the tree in this town creates a magic barrier that protects everyone here from external threats. But unfortunately, the tree has been weakened and the barrier vanished. And that's how this town suffered from the invasion." Karol explained. Team Natsu, Darren, Sheena and Yuri turn and look up at the large tree grown in the middle of the town. Although the tree is still standing, its leaves have clearly withered and lost its natural colors.

"No wonder the people of this town live so close to this tree." Lucy said softly.

"Ugh!"

Everyone turn to the side and see a woman falling to her knees after she had finished attending to an injured woman sitting on a bench with her daughter.

"Ma'am! Are you okay?" The woman cried in concern.

"Estelle!" Alicia cried.

"Hey!" Yuri said as he and Alicia hastily rush over to the woman. After going over to her sides, Alicia and Yuri kneel down and wrap the woman's arms around their backs. "Are you alright?" He asked the woman as he and Alicia get her up from the ground as they slowly stand up.

"Yeah…I'm fine…" The woman replied weakly. She has chin-length pink hair, teal eyes and wears a white dress with gold outlines with an additional pink dress underneath it, white gloves, yellow gauntlets, black pants underneath her skirt and white boots.

"No you're not! You're exhausted!" Alicia chided the woman. "You should rest now or you too will end up becoming like the injured."

"Y-yeah, I should. I'm sorry." The woman said apologetically.

As the woman and her daughter move aside, allowing Alicia and Yuri to help the pink-haired woman sit down and rest, Karol and Judith turns to Darren, Sheena and Team Natsu.

"That's Estelle, our guild's healer." Karol said.

"I can see that she is a very caring person." Darren said.

"Yes, but she shouldn't push yourself too much to help until she completely forgets about herself." Judith said.

"Come on, Wendy. Let's help these people out." Happy said to Wendy.

"Right." Wendy nods her head. As Wendy, Happy and Carla goes off to help and heal the injured, an old man walks down a slope and goes over to everyone else.

"Brave Vesperia, I must really thank you for helping my people. Your friend is a wonderful healer." The man said to Karol and Judith.

"You're welcome." Karol said. "We're just glad most of your people are getting better."

"Sir, I hope you don't mind us barging in but when does the tree stop setting up its barrier?" Erza asked the town leader.

"I'm not sure." The town leader responded. "We have no idea what causes our great tree to weaken. Even Fairy Tail doesn't know for sure." Darren, Sheena and Team Natsu stare at him in surprise. "But all we know is that if things don't go normal soon, we may never survive another invasion from the Abbey."

"Did you say Fairy Tail?" Gray asked.

"GRAY-SAMA!"

Gray flinched upon hearing the familiar voice. "You're kidding me…" He uttered.

Lucy chuckled. "What a small world."

Everyone look behind the town leader and see three people standing behind the fence and on top of the hill in the distance. One of them is a young girl around the same age as Lucy. Her skin is pale white and she has long blue wavy hair, dark blue eyes and wears a black Cossack hat with a golden butterfly pin on it, a black long-sleeved winter uniform with a light brown belt around her waist, a black long skirt and long light brown boots.

The second figure is a tall and muscular young man with long and messy black hair. He has blood red eyes, metal piercings on his brows, nose, chin and lower arms, and wears a sleeveless black and gray robe, a dark gray sash, black gloves, dark tan pants and black boots.

The third and last figure is a tall and young woman with purple eyes and long wavy brown hair. She is dressed in a light blue bra, a pair of metal bracelets around her upper arms, a pair of brown capri pants, black high-heel shoes and carries a blue furry sling bag over her body.

The blue-haired girl waves her hand enthusiastically at Gray before running down the slope and going over to Team Natsu.

"Hello Gray-sama! Have you come to Halure to see Juvia?" Juvia eagerly asked Gray as she stood in front of him with a wide smile plastered across her face.

"Huh? You know them?" Karol said as he and Judith stare at Juvia in confusion.

"Yes. She and the other two are our fellow guild members." Natsu replied to the small boy.

"Hello Juvia. We just so happen to come here. That's all." Gray replied dully to Juvia.

"Happen to come here? It must be destiny that brought you and Juvia together then." Juvia said lovingly with her eyes closed as she clasps her hands together and place them next to her right cheek. But a moment later, her eyes snap open as she swiftly turns her head to Lucy, giving her 'love rival' a diabolical glare. "Hello Lucy…" She greeted her menacingly.

"Hello Juvia." Lucy said nervously as she waves her hand back at her friend. "So nice to see you again."

"Gajeel, Cana, what are you guys doing here?" Erza asked, smiling at the other two figures approaching towards them.

"Well, we are doing our part in going around Earth Land with the Rune Knights in searching for the humans without magic." The brown-haired woman now known as Cana replied as she places her hand on the side of her hip.

"We managed to find the magicless person we were assigned to rescue here in this town." The black-haired man now known as Gajeel explained. "But it did attract the attention of the Abbey and that's why they came here and attack. Fortunately, the magicless man has since escaped with the Rune Knights we travelled with and they are on their way to Era as we speak. Juvia, Cana and I, along with Brave Vesperia manage to fend off the Abbey, but several civilians did get injured during the battle."

"That's why we stayed here for the time being and do what we must to make up for the inconvenience we've brought upon this town." Juvia said grimly as she felt a huge amount of guilt inside her.

"No guys. Don't blame yourselves. At least the three of you fought bravely to protect this town from the invaders along with Brave Vesperia. I'm proud of you." Erza said to them with a weak smile. Cana, Gajeel and Juvia smile back at her.

"So what exactly are we going to do now?" Darren asked worriedly, watching Wendy, Happy and Carla going around and helping the injured civilians in the town square. "If we don't do something, this town may never survive another external threat."

"That's why I was trying to capture an eggbear." Alicia said to him as she walks over to them.

"Huh?" Darren turned to Alicia. "Oh right, you did mention that. What's that anyway?"

"An eggbear is a giant grey bear with large claws and long arms that reach down to its knees. It usually roams around the forest back where we originally came from." Alicia explained.

"Are you sure it's not a bear that resembles an egg?" Darren arches an eyebrow at her.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Natsu burst out laughing as he clutches his stomach. "Good one Darren, AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Is your taste of comedy really that low for you guys?" Alicia muttered as she gives Darren and Natsu an annoyed scowl. Darren shrugged and gave her a lopsided grin in response.

"Alicia's right though." Karol said. "And the reason why we are trying to catch it is because I actually had an idea on how we can cure the great tree and bring back the magic barrier that protects this town."

"Really?" Lucy said as she, Natsu, Gray and Erza widen their eyes intrigued.

"Well, it's just an idea in my head. I can't confirm it will work for sure, but it's still worth trying." Karol admitted as he scratches his chin. "Anyways, I was thinking we could grab the claw of an eggbear and mix it with a healing bottle."

"We already have a healing bottle thanks to the ingredients the town leader provided us." Cana said, holding up the said bottle in her hand. "Now all we just need is the creature's claw."

The members of Team Natsu look up at the enormous tree that towers over them and the town again. Darren is right. The people of this town heavily rely on the tree's magic to keep themselves safe from danger. But with the tree weakened, the townspeople had suffered lots of pain and suffering from the Abbey's invasion. And if it weren't for the help of Juvia, Gajeel, Cana and Brave Vesperia, this town could have been obliterated. If nobody could help cure their precious tree now, a great amount of suffering will bestow upon the innocent people of Halure in the future.

Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Erza look back at each other and nod their heads solemnly. They turn to Karol as Natsu holds up and clenches his fist. "Let us help find this eggbear for you." He said to Brave Vesperia.

"You will?" Karol said as he, Alicia and Judith look back at them in awe.

"Yup! If anyone needs help, they can count on us." Lucy said enthusiastically. "Because we are-"

Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Erza pump their fists up into the air as they shout in unison, "FAIRY TAIL!"

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank aquabluey for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. I'm happy to say that things in my personal life have finally calm down, so hopefully I can continue writing my stories again at a regular schedule. Stay tune for the next chapter!**


	6. Halure, Part 2

_**Halure, Part 2**_

"Huh? Why the heck do I have to stay here?" Sheena asked Darren in annoyance.

"Because I'm sure eleven people including me is already enough to go back to the forest and find this eggbear." Darren explained. "Besides, I think you haven't got time to know Wendy, Yuri and the exceeds yet. They and Estelle could use your help in taking care of the civilians while we're gone."

Sheena turns and looks over her shoulder. She momentarily glances at Wendy, Happy and Carla who are standing behind her, smiling and waving their hands. Sheena turns back to Darren and scratches her head. "Fine. I'll stay here." She replied, looking peeved.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Darren smiled at her as Natsu, Gajeel and Juvia walk over to them.

"Don't worry Sheena. Your friend is in our safe hands." Natsu grins at Sheena as he places his hand on Darren's shoulder.

"Says the guy who has proven to be an idiot so far." Sheena murmured. Gajeel laughed in response, causing Natsu to glare at the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"You got that right, Sheena!" Gajeel chortled.

"Stay here and make sure everything in town is fine while we're gone." Juvia said to her.

"I will." Sheena nods her head.

"Thank you. By the way, it's good to you again, Sheena." Juvia said smiling.

"Glad to know you're still alive and well." Gajeel added. Sheena gave her former guildmates a quick smirk before turning around and walking away. Afterwards, Darren, Natsu, Gajeel and Juvia turn around and regroup with Lucy, Gray, Erza, Cana, Karol, Judith and Alicia.

"Alright everyone!" Erza and Karol said to everyone in unison. "Huh?" They look at each other in confusion before turning back to their fellow guild members. "Let's head into the-"

Erza and Karol cut themselves off and groan. The former turns to the small boy and said, "You go first."

Karol nods his head and said to everyone as he raises his fist into the air, "Let's head into the forest and find that eggbear!"

"Aye!" The others responded in unison. Yuri, Estelle, Sheena, Wendy, Happy and Carla watch everyone leave the town while standing in the distance.

"I hope they will return with that eggbear claw soon." Yuri said.

"Me too. We can't let this people remain defenseless for long." Estelle said. She turns to Wendy and smiled at the Wind Dragon Slayer. "Thank you so much for helping me with the injured, Wendy. I appreciate your assistance."

"You're welcome." Wendy replied.

"Thanks for your help too, Yuri Lowell." Estelle said, turning to the man beside her.

"No problem." Yuri smirked.

"Judging by your outfit, you're a Rune Knight, aren't you?" Estelle inquired.

"Yeah I am. Though to be honest, I really hate this uniform." Yuri said, looking down at his current clothing.

"Well, you can always go to the town's store and pick a new set of clothes for yourself." Estelle suggested.

"Yeah, and wearing this outfit will only make me stick out like a sore thumb and stand out too much to the enemy. Nice suggestion, Estelle." Yuri replied.

"Can I come with? My guild and I need to restock our supplies too." Wendy said to the adults.

"Of course." Estelle said to her.

"Well, if you guys are busy chatting among yourselves, I'll just sit over there and mind my own business then." Sheena said dully before turning and walking over to a nearby bench. Just as she sat down, two small boys and a girl walk past her while carrying wooden swords with in their hands. Sheena frowned and asked them, "Hey, where are you guys going?"

The three children stop and turn to Sheena. They all stare at her boldly as the leader of the trio proclaimed, "We are going out there to fight the Abbey!"

"Huh?" Sheena said incredulously.

"Yeah, those baddies hurt my parents! So we're going out there to make them pay!" The only girl of the trio cried.

"I want them all hurt badly just like what they did to our families and friends!" The other boy of the trio added.

"Come on guys! Let's go!" The leader ordered his followers. Just as the three kids turn and continue walking their way out of town, Sheena hurriedly gets up from the bench and stood in front of them.

"Whoa hey! Calm down, will you?" Sheena said to the children as she holds up her hands.

"Calm down?! How can we calm down when the Abbey has hurt our families and friends?! Somebody has got to make them pay!" The leader of the trio barked.

"Yeah! Let us teach those rotten grown-ups a lesson they'll never forget!" The other boy shouted.

Sheena noticed the anger and hatred inside the children's eyes. While she does empathize their feelings, she knows that seeking revenge is never the way to make the Abbey compensate for what they did to the innocent people of Halure, especially when they are all children who are not only too young to fight against them, but also have long lives ahead of them that should not be wasted with petty revenge.

Sheena places her hands on the sides of her hip and suggested, "You know, instead of running off on your own, how about I tell you all a story?"

"Huh?" The leader said as the three children stare at Sheena in confusion. Sheena places her hands on the boys' shoulders as she escorts them and the girl back to the bench. The three children continue gazing at Sheena as she sat down on the bench in front of them.

"What is this story about?" The girl asked Sheena.

"Um, let's see." Sheena rubs her chin. "Have you ever heard of the tortoise and the hare?"

"Yeah." The leader of the trio replied.

"Well, this is the sequel. The story of the hare's revenge." Sheena said.

"Huh?" The other boy said.

"Now, I'm sure you guys know that the tortoise won the race against the hare, right?" Sheena asked. The children nod their heads in response. "Well, the hare isn't very happy about losing the race to the tortoise, so he seeks his revenge by humiliating the tortoise to everyone in the animal village."

The three children look at each other before sitting down on the ground and gaze at Sheena as they listen to her story. As Sheena begins telling her story to them, Estelle chuckled as she, Wendy, Yuri, Happy and Carla watch her from a distance.

"I'm sure she's doing a great job taking care of the children in this town so far. So let's head to the store." Yuri said.

As the others make their way to the store, Wendy looks up at the sky and pondered, "I wonder how the others are doing…"

* * *

As everyone walk through the forest in search of the eggbear, Karol takes out a red harness from his bag and hands it to Darren. "Here you go. You can have this." He said.

"What is this?" Darren asked as he takes the harness from the small boy and looks down at it.

"It's a harness. You don't want to go around carrying your weapon in your hands all the time, right? So you can have this to carry your scabbard on your back." Karol explained.

"Really? Great!" Darren replied. He wears the harness around his shoulders before inserting his scabbard through the loop on its back. He smiles as he looks over his shoulder, barely seeing his scabbard now comfortably sheathed through the harness' loop. He looks back at Karol and bows his head. "Thank you very much, Karol."

"No problem." Karol smiled.

"Wow Darren, now you actually do look like a swordsman." Gray remarked.

"Really? You think so?" Darren said, grinning enthusiastically. "That's awesome to hear! I've always wanted to feel what it's like to be one of those swordsmen I've seen in anime and movies all the time! Sure I could have done cosplaying but sadly, I don't have the sewing skills to make my own outfits so I guess this harness…"

"He sure knows how to ramble when he gets overly excited." Judith said, watching him in amusement.

"Tch." Alicia snorted as she narrows her eyes. "Boys…"

Eventually, Darren gets interrupted when Lucy cries out as she points her finger up at a tree with yellow fruits growing at its branches, "There it is! We found a Nia fruit tree!" Everyone stops and turn to the tree.

"Great. Now all we have to do is use my yo-yos to-" Alicia gets cut off when Gajeel magically covers his right arm with iron dragon scales and lets out a yell as he runs over to tree, slamming his iron fist against its trunk. This causes several nia fruits to fall and plummet to the ground. Gajeel cries as he ducks down and places his hands over his head while the fruits fall on top of him as well.

"Or we could just do that." Alicia said dully while Natsu snickered at Gajeel's moment of torment.

As Gajeel backs away, Judith hands Karol her machete before the small boy goes over and picks up one of the fruits. "Now that we have one in our possession, we can use it to lure the eggbear." He said to everyone.

"How exactly are we going to do that with this fruit?" Lucy asked.

Her curiosity is rewarded when Karol uses the machete to cut open the outer skin of the nia fruit. An outrageous scent immediately burst out from the fruit, causing Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Gajeel, Cana, Juvia and Darren to freeze with their eyes nearly bulging out from their sockets.

"I-it stinks!" Erza shouted as Darren and the members of Fairy Tail quickly cover or pinch their noses.

"Yes, it does." Judith said calmly as she, Karol and Alicia are completely unfazed by the fruit's unsettling odor.

Juvia moans as she sways side to side and rolls her eyes back. She would have slump to the ground in a heap if Gray hadn't catch her from behind in time.

"Juvia!" Gray cried in horror.

"Juvia…don't feel…well…" Juvia managed to say.

"The eggbears are attracted to strange smells such as this." Karol explained.

"Yeah, something you should have told us beforehand?" Natsu said irritably with his voice pitched up as he pinches his nose.

"Serve you guys right." Alicia deadpanned. "If you hadn't ruined my plan, we wouldn't resort to plan B."

"Hopefully the eggbear will now come out soon so that we can get this over with." Cana grumbled, obviously wishing she should have stayed back in Halure after all.

Suddenly, everyone heard a ferocious roar. Juvia widens her eyes as she gets back up on her feet. Everyone whirled about and see a giant creature charging towards them.

"Look out!" Erza shouted. Everyone quickly got out of the way in time just as the giant creature charged past them. Everyone turn back to the creature just as it stops at its tracks and whirled about. The creature resembles a giant bear with dark grey and light grey fur. It is standing up on a pair of muscular legs and feet and it also has large arms and claws that extend all the way down to its knees.

"That's it! That's the eggbear!" Karol cried as he jabs his finger at the creature.

"What do you know? It doesn't look like an egg." Darren commented.

"That's your biggest concern?!" Alicia yelled at him.

Erza grits her teeth as she magically dresses up into her Giant Armor and her sword transforms into a tall and gigantic lance. Lucy draws out her whip while Cana draws out her cards. Natsu, Gray, Gajeel and Juvia also get into their fighting stances as they stare boldly at the eggbear.

"Alright everyone! Let's take it down!" Erza ordered her fellow members.

"Right!" Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Gajeel, Juvia and Cana responded in unison.

"We're ready to join the fight as well." Judith said as she and Alicia step forward. Alicia draws out two yo-yos from her pouch while Judith holds out her hand and magically summons a large black spear. She grabs it by its hilt as soon as it appears and Judith gets into her fighting stance.

"That's right, Brave Vesperia! Give that eggbear hell!" Karol cheered his guildmates.

"Um, why aren't you joining the fight?" Darren asked as he and Karol stand behind some bushes that are several meters away from the impending fight.

"Huh?" Karol said, turning to Darren who stares back at him questioningly. He panicked as he struggles to find an answer. "Oh um, i-it's because I-I-I am the strategist! Right! My role as leader of the guild also includes giving orders to my guildmates. But what about you? Why aren't you fighting?"

"Because I don't have the skills to do that yet." Darren replied.

"It's true." Lucy said nonchalantly to Karol. The boy flinched, realizing that unlike him, Darren actually has a valid reason which his friends accept.

"Your legs are shaking." Darren noted to Karol.

"Huh?!" Karol said incredulously as he looks down.

The eggbear roars again at its human enemies before charging towards them. Natsu and Gajeel yell as they are the first to advance towards the eggbear. When Natsu is near the creature, the eggbear swings his left arm horizontally at him. Natsu dodges its attack by sliding through the ground. While it is distracted, Gajeel jumps into the air and transforms his right arm into a large, jagged iron sword. He swings his sword downwards and successfully slams it on the top of the eggbear's head.

As Gajeel lands on the ground, Natsu gets up from the ground and leaps into the air. He engulfs his right fist with flames as he pulls it back.

"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!" Natsu shouted as he throws his flaming fist at the eggbear's back. The eggbear growls in pain as he stumbles forward.

"My turn!" Erza shouted before thrusting her lance towards the eggbear. The eggbear quickly responded by lifting up its gigantic arms in front of its chest to block her attack. The eggbear deflects her lance away and it proceeds to swing its arms continuously at Erza as it steps forward. Erza manages to dodge every swing by continuously backing away.

After the eggbear throws one final swing at her, Erza dodges it by jumping into the air and thrusts her lance at its face. The blow of her attack sends the eggbear stumbling backwards. It stops when Lucy throws her whip at the eggbear and it wraps around its left arm. Lucy gave it a pull before turning to Juvia. "Hurry!"

"Right." Juvia said as she holds her hand. She shouted as she swipes her arm to the side and several scythe-like blades of water flew towards the eggbear, "WATER SLICER!" The eggbear roars in agony as the blades of water slash across his limbs and body.

"Well done, Juvia!" Gray yelled as he magically summons a giant bow made of ice.

Juvia gasps as her cheeks blushed. "Gray-sama praised me!" She realized aloud as she places her hand in front of her gaping mouth.

"Concentrate!" Lucy shouted at her.

"ICE-MAKE: ARROWS!" Gray bellowed before firing multiple arrows of ice at the eggbear with his bow.

The eggbear roars furiously as he holds up its right arm to block Gray's ice arrows. It has no desire in letting its human enemies get the upper hand. As soon as Gray finish firing all of his arrows, the eggbear clenches its claws tightly and slams them onto the ground, creating a powerful tremor that cause everyone to stumble. Erza, Alicia, Judith and Gray manage to keep their balance while Lucy, Juvia, Natsu, Gajeel and Cana lose their balance and fall to the ground.

"Guys!" Darren cried as he and Karol watched in horror from a distance.

Cana growls as she throws her cards at the eggbear like shurikens. "Take that!"

The eggbear responds by letting out a powerful roar that sends the cards flying back to Cana. "Darn!" Cana cursed as Alicia runs past her. She leaps into the air and swipes her arms, swinging her yo-yos at the eggbear.

The yo-yos successfully hit the eggbear at its forehead, causing it to stumble backwards. As Alicia lands back on the ground, Judith takes the opportunity to run up to the giant creature and shout, "MOONLIGHT HAVOC!"

She jumps into the air and delivers a powerful kick to the bottom of the eggbear's chin. The creature growls in pain as Judith swings her left leg back diagonally and delivers another kick. This time, her attack landed on top of the eggbear's head as she brings her leg down. She lands back on the ground before turning back to the eggbear and thrusts her spear at its chest.

"NEW MOON BLADE!" Judith shouted as her attack sends the eggbear flying through the air and colliding against a tree behind it.

"Whoa!" Natsu said as the members of Fairy Tail watch Judith's attack in awe.

"Amazing." Lucy murmured. As Judith stood up straight and lowers her spear, Lucy narrows her eyes as she watches her chest. "And they bounce gracefully too…"

"This is our opportunity, guys! Deliver the final blow!" Gray yelled.

"Right!" Erza said as her armor now transforms into her Lightning Empress Armor. Her lance also turns into a spear with a ribbon that has two loose strands tied underneath its circular wheel. She aims her spear at the eggbear as the ribbon's strands form into the limbs of a bow. A ball of energy forms at the tip of the spear and Erza shouted at the top of her lungs as she fires a large beam of lightning at the eggbear, "LIGHTNING BEAM!"

The beam of lightning collides against the eggbear and everything went white. When the light dies down, everybody look back and see that not only several trees have fallen over and a huge trail of rubble was marked on the ground, but in the distance, the eggbear is now lying down flat in an unconscious state.

"Alright!" Natsu yelled with a grin on his face. Lucy, Juvia and Cana cheered while Erza, Gajeel and Gray smile triumphantly.

"Incredible." Darren uttered, amazed by the display of strength and unity that the members of Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia had shown.

"Is it over?" Karol asked as they come out of the bushes.

"Yup, sure looks like it." Alicia said to her leader as she and Judith gaze at the motionless creature.

A smile takes form on Karol's face as he proclaimed while pointing his finger into the air, "Then it's a job well done for Brave Vesperia!"

"Ahem." Erza coughed before she transforms back into her Heart Kreuz Armor. Her spear also turns back into her normal sword.

"Oh right, and Fairy Tail." Karol chuckled as he turns to Erza and rubs the back of his head.

Darren smiled as he watches Natsu, Lucy, Juvia, Gray, Gajeel and Cana chatting with each other and celebrating over their victory against the eggbear. "So that is the power of Fairy Tail. I guess people really do stand strong when they work together as a team…and as friends…" Darren's eyes softened as he lowers his head for a moment.

Alicia suddenly pats Darren on his back and said to him, "Come on. What are we waiting for? Let's get that eggbear claw and bring it back to the town."

"Oh right." Darren nods his head to Alicia before everyone walk their way over to the unconscious eggbear. As Karol kneels beside it, he draws out Judith's machete. Everybody watch as the boy carefully lifts up the eggbear's paw and saws off a claw.

"Sorry that we had to do this." Darren said morosely to the eggbear.

"Oh don't worry. They'll grow back." Judith reassured him.

Darren perked up and said, "Then all is good!"

"Ssshhh! Quiet." Lucy chided him softly.

"Oh right." Darren quickly lowered his tone.

A few minutes later, Karol stood up and raises the eggbear claw in the air. "Alright, we got it! Now let's head back to town and create our antidote!"

* * *

"And so, realizing that he achieved nothing after revenge, the hare was overwhelmed with sorrow and remorse, and he begs the tortoise for forgiveness. The tortoise forgives him and the two finally made up. And they both live happily ever after. The end." When Sheena finished telling her story, the three children applauded as they sat on the ground, staring at her intrigued the whole time.

"That was a great story, ma'am." The girl said to Sheena.

"Glad you enjoyed it." Sheena said.

"Are we still heading out of town though?" The boy asked the leader of the trio.

"I…" The leader lowers his head, contemplating over the story Sheena had told them. "I don't feel like it anymore." He gets up from the ground and walks back to the town square. "I want to go home."

"Me too. Goodbye Sheena!" The other boy said to her as he gets up and follows after his friend.

"Bye." Sheena replied as she waves her hand. As the girl gets up, she walks over to Sheena and smile at her as she grabs her hand.

"Thank you for the story. You helped make me feel better." The girl said to Sheena with gratitude as she shakes her hand.

Sheena stares blankly at the girl for a moment before a wide smile plasters across her face. She bows her head to the girl and responded, "You're welcome." The girl backs away and waves goodbye to Sheena before turning around and running back to the town square.

"Good job, Sheena." Yuri said as he, Estelle, Wendy, Happy and Carla walk over to her. "You've actually done a good deed by telling the children…an interesting story."

"You guys were listening as well, huh?" Sheena shrugged. "It was nothing." She takes a good look at Yuri's new clothes and her lips curved into a smirk. "And hey, that's a very nice outfit you got there, lieutenant. I didn't know you had such a fine and slim body."

"Thanks. But please, from now on, just refer me as Yuri." Yuri said as he looks down at the new outfit he bought from the town's store. No longer is he dressed in his Rune Knight uniform. Now, he is wearing a black long-sleeved tunic which reveals his chest, a brown sash, black pants, grey boots and a golden bracelet around his left wrist. His sword is now sheathed in a brown scabbard that has a white ribbon tied around it, with its other end wrapped around his right hand.

"I knew the outfit I chose for you will suit you perfectly." Estelle smiled at Yuri.

"And I'm surprised you know my size." Yuri commented, causing Estelle to chuckle and blush.

"I wonder if the others are done dealing with eggbear and making their way back to town right now." Wendy wondered as she carries a bag filled with important supplies that her friends needed for their journey.

"Hey everyone! We're back!"

Huge smiles immediately appear on the faces of Wendy, Happy and Carla when they heard Natsu's cheerful voice.

"Natsu!" Happy cried happily as they whirled about and see their fellow guild members walking back into town with Darren, Alicia, Judith and Karol.

"Guys!" Wendy said to the members of Fairy Tail while Karol holds up the eggbear's claw triumphantly with a huge grin.

* * *

After the members of Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia brought the eggbear claw and the healing bottle over to the town's store, the storekeeper helped mix the two items together to create an antidote for the tree. When the storekeeper is done, everyone, including the townspeople and their leader, head to the top of Halure's tallest hill and gather in front of the giant tree.

"Alright everyone. Let's see if this works." Karol said as he holds up the antidote to everyone present.

As Karol turns around and walks over to the tree, Alicia takes a deep breath and murmured, "I hope so."

"Let's see if our efforts pay off." Natsu mumbled before Lucy jabs her elbow against his arm.

"Be an optimist!" Lucy chided her friend.

When he is near the trunk, Karol kneels down and pours the antidote onto the ground. When he finished pouring all of the bottle's contents, the petals on the tree began to glow through the night, causing everyone to perk up as they felt their spirits being lifted.

"It's working!" Gray said.

"It's so beautiful." Juvia commented.

Karol stood up and looks up at the tree with a huge smile. "I don't believe it!"

However, only a few seconds later, the smile on Karol's face disappears when the colors of the petals faded and the town is consumed in darkness once again. Everyone gasped.

"What happened?" Sheena asked in shock and horror.

"It didn't work after all?" Cana said with her eyes wide.

"No! It can't be!" Karol cried in dismay. "That's not true!"

"Oh no…" Alicia uttered.

"Hey, at least we can make another healing bottle, right?" Darren asked the town leader, hoping that things can still turn around.

"We can't. One of the ingredients needed to make the healing bottle were fresh petals from the tree. The ones I gave to Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia were the last I have." The town leader replied dishearteningly.

"Then we're doomed." One of the town's residents said with a sense of hopelessness as he lowers his head.

"When the Abbey comes here again, this town will disappear." Another resident said as she and her daughter hug each other in distress.

"Guys please! Don't give up hope now!" Erza shouted to the townspeople, trying her best to lift their spirits up but to no avail.

"This is terrible!" Another resident cried.

"What are we going to do now?" A child whimpered, shaking uncontrollably in fear.

"Guys please, calm down!" Lucy urged the townspeople.

"WHY?!" Karol shouted in despair as he collapses onto his knees. He hangs his head down and slams his fist on the ground. "WHY DIDN'T IT WORK?!" He began choking as small tears form through his eyelids. "W-w-why…"

Wendy runs over to Karol's side and kneels beside him as she places her hands on his shoulders. "Karol please, get a hold of yourself." She said softly.

"No…I can't…" Karol replied hoarsely as he shakes his head.

Estelle looked around, seeing the expressions of sorrow and hopelessness on the townspeople's faces and the looks of anguish and distress on the members of Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia as they try to calm them down. She turns back to the tree and lifts her head up with a deep frown. "If Karol's plan doesn't work, everyone in this town will…" She slowly walks over to the tree.

"Estelle?" Yuri said as he watched her.

"Where are you going?" Carla asked. As Estelle walks past Wendy and Karol, the two look up and watch her questioningly. Darren, Sheena and the other members of Fairy Tail turn and observe her as well.

When she is near the trunk, Estelle closes her eyelids and clasps her hands together. "Please…" She pleaded.

A few moments later, countless shards of light began appearing from the ground and float into the air. Everyone gathered around the tree watch in awe and astonishment.

"Bloom!" As Estelle looks up, a large beam of bright white light erupted through the trunk of the tree and burst into the night sky. Everyone widen their eyes and gape their mouths open as the withered petals on the tree regain its natural pink colors and shine through the darkness, bringing light back to the once dark and depressed town of Halure. Even the leaves and flowers that were growing on the tree's roots began to grow again and bigger than before. Soon after, several large halos form above the tree, forming a gigantic sphere of energy around the boundaries of the town before disappearing.

Everyone present in the town couldn't believe it. Life has been restored to the great tree of Halure and the magical barrier that protects their town has returned.

"It's beautiful…" Alicia said.

"Indeed." Darren agreed.

"The tree…" Wendy said as she and Karol smiled at the alluring sight before them.

"It's blooming!" Karol cried.

Suddenly, the townspeople erupted with cheers and applause, knowing that their beloved town is protected once more and will no longer have to worry over the threat of the Abbey. As if her energy has been drained from restoring life back into the tree, Estelle collapses on her knees and lowers her head.

"Estelle!" Karol cried as he, Alicia and Judith run up to her.

"Are you okay?" Judith asked in concern. Estelle turns to her fellow guild members and smiled weakly at them.

"I'm okay." Estelle whispered. Karol, Alicia and Judith smile back at her before helping her get back up to her feet.

"We did it. We saved the town!" Natsu yelled happily as he throws his fists into the air.

"Yay!" Happy cheered as he floats into the air and raise up his paws.

"Another job well done!" Lucy added as she stood beside him. Natsu gave his friend a smirk before he and Lucy bump their fists together. Darren smiles as he watches the two.

As they stare at the beautiful blossoming of Halure's tree, Juvia sighs blissfully as she leans her head on Gray's shoulder. Gray flinched momentarily before calming himself down and smile as he looks down at Juvia.

"This is truly a beautiful world we live in, isn't it?" Erza asked Sheena.

Sheena stares blankly at Erza for a moment before nodding her head and giving Erza a wan smile. "Yeah, it sure is." She said.

Moments later, the town leader approach Darren, Sheena, Yuri and the members of Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia. He bows to them with an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

"Thank you so much for bringing the barrier back! Because of you, we will no longer worry about the Abbey again! Fairy Tail, Brave Vesperia, is there anything we can do to repay all of you?" The town leader asked. Soon after, the stomachs of the members of Team Natsu growled and rumbled. Lucy and Erza chuckled sheepishly while Alicia, Judith and Estelle giggled.

"Perhaps a good meal for all of us is enough to reward us." Lucy suggested with her cheeks blushing.

"Very well then! All of you are invited to stay here for the night and have a lavish dinner from our finest chefs!" The town leader said with a warm smile.

"Great! Be sure to serve us lots of delicious meat!" Natsu said enthusiastically.

"And lots of fish!" Happy added.

"Is that the only kinds of food you guys can think of?" Darren asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, what else do you think we should eat?" Natsu asked.

"Oh I can think plenty. Mee goreng. Nasi lemak. Hainanese chicken rice." Darren widens his eyes in realization. "Oh right, you guys never heard of them." He sighs as his arms hang limply at his sides. "I guess I truly miss Singapore." Alicia momentarily stares at Darren in silence before she places her hands at the sides of her hip and chuckled.

"Man, you sure know your food as much as Natsu." Sheena implied.

"What about you? I'm sure you would want sushi and tempura, right?" Darren asked Sheena.

Sheena stares back at her friend in bewilderment. "What's that?"

"Huh?! You're kidding, right?!" Darren cried incredulously.

Suddenly, Gray's stomach growled again, causing him to place his hand on his abdomen. "Geez, the more you guys talk, the more famished I am!"

Everyone with the exception of Gray began laughing at the whole situation in general, and Team Natsu is glad that everything has ended well.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank aquabluey for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	7. Halure, Part 3

_**Halure, Part 3**_

As promised as their repayment for reviving Halure's tree, the chefs of the town's inn had prepared their finest food for Darren, Sheena, Yuri and the members of Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia to relieve their hunger. Everyone is now currently sitting inside a huge private room in the inn's restaurant where they all stare at the delicious food that had been placed in front of them which includes smoked sausages, boiled eggs, fried chicken, fried salmons, a strawberry vanilla cake, cups of sorbet, and a large bowl of fruits.

When his stomach growls again, Natsu chuckled before yelling with a huge grin on his face, "Let's eat!"

"Yeah!" The others said in unison as they grab the food and have their dinner.

Natsu and Gajeel grab the drumsticks from the fried chicken and hastily chow down on them as the heavy eaters they are. Happy and Carla grab the salmons and gnaw on them. After only eating their drumsticks halfway, Natsu and Gajeel started grabbing several sausages, placing them on their plates and vigorously chomp on their food.

"Is this how these guys eat all the time?" Alicia asked Lucy and Sheena with an apple in her hand, looking disgusted at the Dragon Slayers as she sat beside them.

"Yup, that's exactly how I remember Gajeel eating his food." Sheena smirked as she rolls her eyes back.

"I know it's pretty gross, but you'll get used to it." Lucy replied to Alicia smiling before eating her smoked sausage.

Alicia turns to Sheena and Darren who are sitting beside Lucy and sighs. "And it looks like they aren't the only ones who behave like that."

Lucy turns her head as well and sees Sheena and Darren taking huge bites of their burgers. After swallowing his food, Darren lets out a blissful sigh and said, "This is delicious! I have never eaten anything this good ever since I first arrived to Underwood!"

"I know right? Back there, we only have loaves of bread. What's up with that?" Sheena said before taking another chomp of her burger.

"Seriously, it felt like we were losing weight back then!" Darren yelled exasperatedly before munching his food again.

"Well, it's good to know you guys are eating such good food again, but don't go eating too fast now or you will-" Alicia gets cut off when she heard Gajeel throwing out. She and Lucy turn back to the Dragon Slayers and see Gajeel throwing out his chunks of food onto the plate with his face grown red, causing Alicia to shudder. Natsu laugh triumphantly, knowing that he has beaten Gajeel in their little competition of 'Who is the best eater of Fairy Tail?'. Alicia frowns in disgust and continued, "End up doing that."

"Yeah, in your face, Gajeel! Hahahaha!" Natsu chortled while Gajeel turns to the side and lowers his head in defeat with his tongue sticking out. Alicia inches away from the Iron Dragon Slayer.

As the other occupants of the table laugh at the display, Cana rolls her eyes as she sat at the other side of the table. "There they go again with their mindless scuffles." Cana said irritably before drinking her mug of alcohol.

"I think it's amusing." Yuri smirked as he sat next to her eating a boiled egg.

"Huh. That's very unknightly of you." Cana remarked with an arched eyebrow.

"Never like being one anyway." Yuri shrugged. "I was just obligated to do so."

"Hmm, you sound like you're better off being a mage like us." Cana said to him with a smirk.

"Well, I guess I never meant to be like my friend after all." Yuri deadpanned as he looks back at his food and continues eating.

Meanwhile, Erza, Wendy, Juvia, Estelle and Judith are sitting together eating the desserts. As she holds up her plate of a slice of strawberry vanilla cake, Erza picks up a small portion of it with her fork and places it into her mouth. Her eyes sparkle as her lips curved into a wide blissful smile.

"I have to give the people of Halure credit. Just like every other city across Fiore, their cakes are absolutely exquisite!" Erza cried out joyfully.

Wendy and Juvia scoop some strawberry sorbet from their glass cups and eat them. They squealed in response as they felt the delectable sensation inside their mouths.

"This tastes great!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Juvia absolutely loves this!" Juvia cried, smiling down at her sorbet as she places her hand on her right cheek.

When they heard Estelle chuckling, Wendy and Juvia turn to her questioningly. "What is it?" Juvia asked.

"Sorry. It's just…I haven't hung out with other people for a very long time, and this is probably the biggest gathering of friends I've ever attended yet." Estelle smiled sheepishly at her and Wendy before taking a bite of her sorbet.

"I gas you must've bin vary lonesum most of yer life, huh?" Natsu asked with his mouth full.

"Natsu..." Lucy warned her friend, feeling annoyed that he is both talking with his mouth full and asking such a personal question to someone they had just met.

"It's okay." Estelle said to Lucy. "But yes, you're right Natsu. I have been lonely throughout most of my life, especially because I rarely step out of my residence."

"Really?" Lucy's eyes softened as she is reminded of her childhood with her parents. "I know how that feels like…"

"But I'm glad I have friends now." Estelle smiled as she looked at everyone before turning to Judith and Karol. "Especially ones who I can travel with around the world."

"So if you rarely step out of your home, how did you end up with Brave Vesperia, Estelle?" Gray inquired as he puts down his chicken wing on his plate.

"Well um…" Karol struggled to answer his question as he lowers his banana. But he quiet down when he sees Estelle holding up her hand at him.

"Are you sure about this?" Judith asked Estelle in concern. The pink haired woman smiles at her and nodded in response. She lowers her hand and gently places her spoon down before standing up from her seat.

"Everyone, my real name is Estellise Sidos Heurassein, and I am not just a member of Brave Vesperia, but also the mayor of the town of Zaphias." Estelle introduced herself. The members of Fairy Tail gasped.

"No wonder why you look familiar." Yuri said as he lowers his mug.

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked Yuri.

"I've seen pictures of her back in the Magic Council. She really does look different now with her hair untied." Yuri replied.

"Zaphias, the first town to fall to the hands of the Abbey." Lucy uttered. Estelle nodded.

"I'm sure you are all aware about the Abbey invading towns throughout the southern parts of Fiore, right?" Estelle asked Darren, Sheena, Yuri and the members of Fairy Tail. Everyone solemnly nod their heads. "Lucy is right. The fall of Zaphias marked the beginning of the Abbey's campaign in conquering all of Fiore with their motivations still unknown. Our defence forces didn't stand a chance against them. They attacked us by surprise and invaded my palace. Thankfully, I managed to escape with the help of my commandant and his men. After I left my palace, I came across our town's guild, Brave Vesperia. With the efforts of Karol, Judith and their allies, they protected me from my pursuers and escorted me to safety. And since then, I've taken refuge within their guild."

"Wait, allies?" Erza asked.

"We actually have other members in my guild besides Judith. But they were all captured by the Abbey while helping Estelle escape." Karol said sombrely, grimly reminded of his fellow guild members who are still back at Zaphias.

"I joined them later." Alicia clarified to everyone.

"My commandant was the one who contacted the Magic Council about this before he was taken by the Abbey. Since then, the council sent out the Rune Knights to fight them as they continue their invasion throughout the south of Fiore. But despite their best efforts, the Abbey still remain active and even now forming a nation of their own." Estelle explained. "But I believe there is still hope in turning the tide against them. That is why Brave Vesperia and I are planning to travel to the southwest region of Fiore."

"What for?" Darren inquired.

"To visit a civilization known to have fended off its invaders and remain in isolation for generations…" Estelle answered. "Mizuho."

Hearing the name of her hometown had brought Sheena a sense of shock and confusion. Unaware that she had drop her burger onto her plate, Sheena stared blankly at Estelle as she uttered incredulously, "Mizuho? You wish to go there?"

"Yes." Estelle said. "I know Mizuho has maintained an isolation policy for many generations and will continue to do so. But I believe in times of war, if we are going to fight back the Abbey and liberate the towns they have captured, everyone who can still fight must stand and unite together."

"Surely Mizuho has some sort of magic they use that has helped defend them from outside forces for many generations, right?" Karol inquired. "If we can have Mizuho use that exact same magic against the Abbey, we can finally start kicking their butts out of Fiore."

"Sheena here is-" Darren gets cut off when Sheena stomped on his foot. "OW!"

"What about her?" Alicia asked as she, Estelle, Karol and Judith stare at Darren and Sheena curiously.

"I'm a bonafide explorer." Sheena grins at the members of Brave Vesperia. "So if you would excuse me, I would like to take a small walk around town for a bit." She gets up from her chair and hastily walks her way out of the room.

"Sheena, wait!" Darren calls out to his friend as he gets up, goes after his friend and leaves the room. Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza and Wendy look at each other. Erza tilts her head, gesturing the other four to follow after her before they get up from their seats and head to the door. They open it and step out of the room as well.

"Huh." Karol stares blankly at the door. "Well, they haven't really seen much of Halure after all."

* * *

Shortly after stepping out of the inn, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza and Wendy walk over to Darren's side and see Sheena standing in the distance. As Sheena kept her head down, the others stare at her as Darren asked, "Sheena, why don't you want to tell them that you're from Mizuho? We could help escort them to-"

"Because I don't want to go back there!" Sheena cried as she whirled about and glare at them.

Darren sighs heavily and said to her, "Let me guess, because you got bad memories of that place or something bad happen to you in past blah blah blah, right?" He turns his head and sees the members of Team Natsu staring at him dumbfounded. "Yeah, I watched too much anime."

Lucy snaps out of her thoughts and said to Sheena, "Didn't you hear what we said to Darren earlier back at the forest? We all have our bad moments, but we choose to stay strong and move forward."

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what I've done." Sheena replied morosely as she turns her head away.

"Maybe you won't tell us now. But if you keep running away from your past, then I'm afraid even we can't help you." Erza said sternly.

"Stay helpless and let the whole world keep pinning you down." Gray narrows his eyes as he folds his arms. "Is that what you really want?"

"Tch." Sheena snorted with her brows furrowed. She looks back at them and replied hoarsely, "I'm just…I'm scared. It's been so long but…after what I did, I don't know if my people would ever accept me again. Everybody whom I knew and grew up with…they all turn against me as soon as I made the worst mistake in my life. Do you know how it feels being disowned by the people you knew and cared about?"

Darren and Team Natsu stare wordlessly at Sheena as they notice tears beginning to form in her eyes. She wipes them off from her eyes and whimpered, "If I go back there, I'll just be shunned again by everyone around me. And I don't want to go through that ever again!"

"That is not the Sheena I know." Darren said firmly. Sheena's eyes widened as she drops her jaw, shocked by his words as she just stood there and watch Darren walk up to her, "The Sheena I know back at Underwood was strong, cocky, brave, and helped people when they are down. You weren't afraid to help me when I first arrived to this world, so why are you afraid to see your own kin again?"

"Darren…" Sheena murmured.

"If you are truly still afraid, then I'll go to Mizuho with you. As long as you have me, you won't have to worry about facing your problem alone." Darren said.

Sheena pursed her lips as she became beset with confusion. "I don't understand Darren. You can't fight at all and yet you sound as if you want to help me. Why? You could just go to Era with Fairy Tail right now and stop getting yourself involved in any of this."

"I could." Darren nodded. "But I don't want to turn away from a friend who needs help. Not this time."

Sheena continued staring at Darren in pained silence, gazing into his determined eyes as she contemplates what he had said to her. She eventually took a gulp and pushes the strands of hair away from her eyes before managing to respond barely above a whisper, "Thank you."

Darren nods his head and holds his hand up. Sheena grabs it and the two friends clutch their hands together tightly. They later lower their hands as Team Natsu walks up to them. Darren turned to see the smiles on their faces.

"We are willing to help you too, if you make a formal request to us." Natsu said to Sheena.

"Then I, Sheena Fujibayashi, would like to request Fairy Tail to accompany me to Mizuho." Sheena said to Team Natsu.

"On behalf of Fairy Tail, Team Natsu formally accepts your request." Lucy replied as she bows her head.

"Whatever happens, always know that we are on your side." Erza said, smiling confidently at Sheena as she folds her arms. Wendy chuckled as she and Gray hold their thumbs up at her.

Sheena frowned at them as tears begin forming in her eyes again. "Thank you. All of you." She replied softly.

"And actually, I would like to make a request to Fairy Tail too." Darren said to Team Natsu. "I still don't know why Mavis Vermillion bestowed the katana upon me, and it's up to me to find out why. But the only way I can do that is if I have the help of Fairy Tail, as well as having the skills to fight my enemies and defend myself and the people around me. And after seeing how you guys fought the eggbear, Fairy Tail..." Darren gave a solemn bow to them. "I request all of you to help me find Mavis Vermillion and train me in becoming a skilled swordsman."

Team Natsu continue staring at Darren for a few seconds before Erza approaches him and smiles as she bows back. "On behalf of Fairy Tail, Team Natsu gladly accepts your request." She said.

As he and Erza stood up and look back at each other, a huge smile takes form on Darren's face before replying to her, "Thank you so much!"

Sheena wipes away her tears before she and Darren turn to each other and smile as they have received a huge sense of relief that they now have the strongest guild in all of Fiore on their side.

* * *

In the morning, the townspeople and their leader bid farewell to their saviours. Darren, Sheena, Yuri and the members of Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia wave goodbye to them as they make their way to Halure's entrance. After stepping out of the boundaries of the town, Juvia, Gajeel and Cana are prepared to make their way to Era to report to the Magic Council. As for the others, they are preparing to travel to Mizuho. And that means…

"Do we really have to part ways again, Gray-sama?!" Juvia sobbed with tears flowing down her cheeks like tiny waterfalls as she stares into Gray's eyes and clings onto his arms.

"I'm afraid so. Not to mention you and the others shouldn't keep the Magic Council waiting." Gray replied.

Juvia sniffed before backing away and wiping away her tears. "Then promise Juvia that you will stay safe." She manages to choke out.

"Of course I will." Gray nodded.

"Love is in the air…" Happy teased as he stood behind him.

"SHUT UP!" Gray snapped as he turns to the Exceed.

"Well, there is one other thing you guys can do for us before heading to Era." Erza said to Cana, Gajeel and Juvia. "There is a councilman named Ragou whom we left behind before coming to Halure." Erza turned and pointed to the direction where they had left the councilman. "Just keep heading north and you'll find him. And be sure to use your lacrima to detect him so that you'll know that you are near his location."

"Will do." Cana smirked. "Until we meet again." Erza smiles back at Cana as they grab each other's hands and shook.

"Lucy, if something bad happens to Gray…" Juvia muttered as she shot daggers at Lucy.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure everything will be fine…" Lucy reassured her nervously.

Juvia's glare instantly turns into a warm smile as she waves goodbye to Lucy, "Okay then, have a safe journey everyone!"

"See you guys!" Natsu said as he and the others wave goodbye to the three.

"See you again soon, Sheena!" Gajeel smiled as he and Juvia wave farewell to Sheena.

Sheena gave a small smile as she waves back at them. "See you around, Gajeel and Juvia."

Everyone watch as Juvia, Gajeel and Cana walk past them and make their way into the forest to find Ragou before heading to Era. After the three made their departure, Erza and Karol turn to each other and the former asked, "Are you ready, Brave Vesperia?"

"Always!" Karol cheered as he, Alicia, Judith and Estelle smile and stand together proudly.

"And thank you again Sheena for agreeing to escort us to Mizuho." Estelle said, bowing to Sheena with gratitude.

"No problem." Sheena replied. Last night, after returning into the restaurant, Sheena revealed to everyone present in the room that she is from Mizuho, and after some thought and consideration, she has agreed to take Estelle and Brave Vesperia to her hometown, as well as assisting them in talking to her kin's leader to join the fight against the Abbey. Hearing all of this has brought an overwhelming amount of happiness to Estelle and Brave Vesperia and they thank her for her assistance. And because he has no intentions of returning to the Magic Council anytime soon, Yuri has agreed to go along with Sheena, Darren, Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia to do whatever he can to help them.

Erza turns to Darren and asked, "And are you ready for your training, Darren?"

Darren boldly stares back at her and nods his head solemnly. "I'm ready." He replied firmly.

"I hope so because you'll be surprised to know what I have in store for you." Erza smirked. Darren chuckled nervously, but managed to maintain his composure and kept a confident smile on his face.

"Wow, it feels like this group has really gotten bigger, hasn't it?" Alicia said as she takes a moment to have a good look at the people around her.

"It sure is. As if we have made a lot of new friends." Judith agreed.

"And I'm so happy that we'll be continuing our travels together with several new companions." Estelle added with a bright smile. The others look at each other, smiling as they agree with Estelle's sentiment.

"Now then, Fairy Tail!" Erza ordered.

"Brave Vesperia!" Karol yelled to his own guild.

"Let's go!" The two leaders proclaim together.

"Aye!" Everybody else responded in unison before they all depart the town and begin travelling to their next destination.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys! And to all of my readers, Happy Valentine's Day!**


	8. Training, Part 1

_**Training, Part 1**_

Erza woke up everyone at the wake of dawn, much to everyone's dismay. Darren lets out a huge yawn as he, Natsu and Gray rose up from their mats. After Darren ruffles his hair and Natsu finished clicking his tongue, much to Gray's annoyance, the three got out of their tent to see the others getting up and leaving their own tents as well. It's been a day since they have left Halure, and they had set up their campsite in the middle of a large grassy field separated from the tall trees of the forest.

Alicia successfully started the campfire and Judith began cooking breakfast for everyone. Meanwhile, the other girls went to the back of their tents to brush their teeth. Darren, Natsu, Gray, Happy, Karol and Yuri walk into the trees to brush as well.

The six males stood in front of some bushes not far away from the campsite and they proceed to brush their teeth while they each hold a mug of water. After rinsing his mouth with water and spitting out its contents into the bushes in front of them, Darren turns to the others and said, "I have to say, all of this really feels nostalgic to me."

Karol spits out the contents in his mouth into the bushes before replying, "How so?"

"Well, during my youth back in my world, I remember me and my schoolmates going on a camping trip and we would set up tents and sleep together just like what we are doing at our campsite right now. And during the day, we would go through lots of intensive training and exercises together." Darren explained.

"Oh, just like what my friend and I went through back in the Rune Knight academy." Yuri implied.

"Yeeeaaahhh, similar to that." Darren said. "But anyways, once the day is over though, we would prepare our dinner and the campfire together. And then when the campfire is lit, we sit around it, eat our dinner together, talk and chat with each other, and we all sing-"

"Okay, we get it." Gray deadpanned as he rolls his eyes. "You have done similar things like this back in your world."

"Yeah, I was starting to ramble. Sorry." Darren said apologetically. "But it's just that…" His eyes softened as his lips curved into small blissful smile. "Being able to do all of this again with so many people…really does makes me feel happy. It not only helps relive those nostalgic days for me…but also make up for all the things you wish you could have done, not cherish enough of it back then and hope you can do it all over again. It does put my heart at ease a bit, and that's great."

"It sounds like you never really had a lot of friends back in your world." Natsu said.

"Yeah, you're right." Darren admitted as he nods his head. "I never really got along well with others, which is why I don't have a lot of friends. And the ones I do have…" He blows out a heavy sigh. "I really wish I could see and talk to them again."

"That doesn't sound right. Everybody should have lots of friends." Happy said.

"I think so too. But sometimes, things can be complicated…" Darren frowned. "And irreversible too."

"Hey! Are you guys done yet?!" Erza barked, causing all the males except Yuri to cringe.

"We're coming!" Natsu replied as he turns his head to the direction of their campsite.

"Good! Because breakfast is here and you better eat them while they're hot!" Erza calls out to them.

"Aye." Yuri deadpanned.

"We better get back now." Karol said.

The males hurriedly return to the campsite and see the girls gathered around the campfire and passing plates of food to each other. They sit beside them and Alicia hands Darren a plate of eggs as he sat next to her.

"Here you go." Alicia said.

"Thanks." Darren said as he takes the plate. He looks down and frowns, realizing that the only things that are on his plate are two fried eggs. He turns to the others and notices that their plates not only contain eggs but also sausages and bacon.

"Why do I only have eggs?" Darren asked in annoyance.

"Because Erza doesn't want you to eat too much before your training." Alicia replied before she began eating her own breakfast.

"That's right. Have you forgotten about it?"

Darren turns his head and sees Erza walking up to him from behind with a bold glare.

"Oh boy…" Natsu murmured as he and Gray shiver upon seeing the dark expression on Erza's face.

"It's that look again." Gray added.

"HAVE YOU?!" Erza shouted at Darren when she didn't get a response from her apprentice.

Darren jolts up from the ground and yelled, "YES MA'AM!"

"Finish your breakfast already so that we can move off." Erza said sternly to him. Darren hurriedly chows down his eggs, passes the now empty plate back to Alicia and gave a salute to his instructor.

Erza extends out her hand, magically summoning a wooden sword. As soon as she grabs its hilt, she tosses the weapon over to Darren who easily catches it. "Are you ready for your training?" She asked.

"I'm ready." Darren gave a solemn nod.

"Good." Erza said before summoning another wooden sword in her hand. She turns to Alicia and asked, "Alicia, would you like to come with us?"

"Why?" Alicia asked in confusion.

"Because I wish to take Darren somewhere far away from here for the next two days, to free himself from any distractions. But we'll need a guide to escort us back to camp when our training is done." Erza explained.

"Go on, Alicia. Do your part to help them out." Karol ordered her.

"Very well then." Alicia replied. She puts down the plates, gets up from the ground and dust off her shorts and stockings. She walks over to Erza and Darren and said to them, "I hope to get to learn more about you two."

"So do I." Darren replied.

"The rest of you will take care of yourselves while we're gone." Erza said to the others firmly.

"Aye-aye, captain." Natsu murmured.

"UNDERSTOOD?!" Erza barked at Natsu.

Natsu flinched for a moment before standing up straight and shouting back at her, "AYE-AYE!"

"Good." Erza said before turning back to Darren and Alicia. "Let's go, you two."

"I hope things don't get chaotic while we're gone." Darren said to the others.

Karol chuckled as he puts down his plate and gets up from the ground. He places his fists at the sides of his hip and confidently replied, "Don't worry guys. You can count on me to maintain peace here in the campsite, for I am the guild master of Brave Vesperia!"

"Good luck, Captain." Alicia smiled at her leader.

The three turn around and depart from the campsite, leaving their companions behind and head deep into the trees beyond.

"Good luck with your training, Darren!" Lucy cheered.

"And take good care of yourselves!" Wendy added.

Darren, Alicia and Erza nod their heads and wave goodbye to them before turning back to their front. Everyone watch them continue walking further away from the campsite until they vanish from their sights.

"Alright guys." Karol turns to the remaining denizens of the campsite. "Natsu, with your fire magic, help keep the flames of our campfire burning. Gray, Yuri, Estelle, help us find food and gather more wood for our campfire. Lucy, Sheena, tidy the tents. Happy, Carla, clean the dishes. Wendy, Judith, keep watch of our campsite. Get going, everyone!"

Everyone except Judith and Estelle stare at Karol dumbfounded. They are surprised to see such a young boy able to issue commands professionally like a true guild master. Judith turns to the others and gets up from the ground. "Well, what are you waiting for? Move out!" Judith commanded with her hands at the sides of her hip.

"Right!" Gray said as everyone put down their plates, get up and perform their assigned duties. Natsu kneels down in front of the campfire and gently blows at the flames. Judith magically summons her spear as Wendy walks over to her.

"Well, it seems we are assigned the same task together. I would love to get to know more about you." Judith said, smiling at Wendy.

"I look forward to it!" Wendy smiled back at her. As the two women walk off, Sheena grumbles under her breath as she and Lucy go over to the tents.

"Why is it that even after leaving that awful restaurant, I'm still assigned to doing cleaning duties?" Sheena muttered.

"Come on Sheena. At least we'll be working together." Lucy said encouragingly. Sheena groans as she pushes the curtain aside and enters the tent with Lucy behind her.

Karol smiled as he watches Happy and Carla cleaning the dishes with their tails. "Keep up the good work, guys. And when you're done, perhaps you can join Gray, Yuri and Estelle in finding a river and catch some fish for us." He said to the Exceeds.

"You got it!" Happy replied happily before he suddenly clean the plates at a faster rate. Carla groans and shakes her head.

"I knew that would work on him." Carla muttered before she continues cleaning the other dishes.

"You sure know how to make orders around like a true leader." Natsu complimented Karol.

"Thanks." Karol replied as he turns to him.

"So Karol, I was wondering, why do you want to form a guild of your own despite your small age?" Natsu asked.

"Well, back at Zaphias, I actually had an idol." Karol admitted, scratching the side of his chin.

"Hey, I had an idol too!" Natsu said as the smile on his face widened.

"Really?" Karol asked.

"Yup, my idol is my father Igneel." Natsu grins at the boy. "He was wise, caring, and his lessons helped me become what I am today."

"Wow, that's nice. For me, my idol is a mage named Don Whitehorse. He is the guild master of Altosk, the strongest guild of Zaphias." Karol replied, placing his hands at the sides of his hip. "He was big, tall and strong fighter. But he was still calm and friendly to everyone. He and his guild helped contribute the economy of our town and they care a lot about the well-being of its residents. His genuine kindness to everyone in Zaphias is what inspired me to join Altosk. Of course at first, the members think lowly of me because I was just a kid, but Don was actually willing to give me a chance and made me a member of his guild. It made me really happy and I will never forget that display of kindness he gave to me." Karol momentarily lowers his head and his eyes softened. "Sadly, I only knew him for a year before he suddenly died from his illness. And with his death, because everyone in Altosk was disheartened and do not wish to take over his position out of respect, his entire guild dissolved as well." He looks back up at Natsu who is still staring wordlessly at him. "But my memory of him is what inspired me to become better, and I later decided to form a guild of my own." Karol narrows his eyes boldly at Natsu as he holds up his fists and clenches them. "Now, my greatest goal in life is to make Brave Vesperia become the next strongest guild of Zaphias!"

Natsu smiled at Karol, impressed by the boy's strong sense of determination. Wendy, Judith, Happy, Carla, Lucy and Sheena also smile at the boy as they have been listening to his explanation.

Karol watched in confusion as Natsu stood up from the ground and places his hands at the sides of his hip. He grins at the boy before saying, "Well, if you are so determined to become the master of the next greatest guild of Zaphias, how about I teach ya how to fight?"

"Huh?" Karol said incredulously.

"Well, during our last fight with the eggbear, you were clearly hiding away from the action because you are scared, right?" Natsu asked.

Karol sighed and lowers his head and fists as he admitted, "Yeah, I was."

"Unfortunately, you can't be a great guild master if you are not stronger than your own followers. But no worries!" Natsu places his hand on the boy's shoulder. Karol looks back up at him again as he continued, "Let me help ya become a great fighter just like the rest of us! I'll make sure you will never get scared of a fight ever again! What do you say? Would you like me to teach you?"

As Natsu winks an eye at him, Karol stares wordlessly at him for a few moments as he felt surprised and nostalgic by his sudden offer. _'Don Whitehorse…'_

Finally, a huge smile takes form on Karol's face a few seconds later. He nods his head and replied to Natsu, "Thank you so much, Natsu! I accept your offer to train me!"

* * *

For the next thirty minutes, Darren, Erza and Alicia continued walking through the forest, going over logs and weaving around tall trees along the way. Alicia led the way as she helped Darren and Erza navigate through the forest. As they walk deeper, they began hearing a rushing sound. They also see that the forest is thinning and the trees are becoming sparser from each other as they continue walking.

"Did you hear that?" Alicia asked, turning her head to Darren and Erza behind her. The two nod their heads back in response. Alicia smirked at them. "It means we are getting close."

"Close? To what?" Darren asked in confusion.

"You'll see." Erza said.

When they finally step out of the forest, Darren and Alicia widen their eyes as they and Erza arrived at a cliff. They proceed to walk nearer towards the edge of the cliff. They see that below it and in front of them is the vast blue ocean. The rushing sound they heard earlier came from the water churning and crashing into the cliff. Darren and Alicia stared at it in awe, admiring the beauty of the ocean.

"It's gorgeous." Alicia said softly, completely taken away by the beautiful scenery before her.

"Indeed." Darren said as his lips formed into a small smile. "I've never seen anything like this up close before." He slowly turned to Erza. "Erza, don't you-OW!"

Without warning, Erza jabs the tip of her wooden sword into Darren's stomach, pushing him backwards. Alicia gasped in shock and backs away as Darren bends over and groans in pain while clutching his stomach.

"You let your guard down by distractions!" Erza scolded as she holds up her sword in front of her and gets into a fighting stance. "NOW EN GARDE!"

Erza swiftly took a step forward and thrusts her sword at him. Darren quickly dodges the attack by turning to his side and slightly bending his body backwards. Alicia simply stood by idly and watched the two begin their training.

As Darren turns back to his front, Erza quickly backs away and swings her sword horizontally at him. Darren holds up his sword to block her attack. Suddenly, Erza lifts her knee up and hits Darren at the side of his stomach. Darren groans as he took a few steps backwards. But he didn't get even a full second to take a breather as Erza suddenly did a running jump and kicks him in the chest, sending him sprawling through the ground. Alicia cringed at the sight of it.

Darren lifts his head up with his eyes widened in both shock and surprise. Surprised mainly because he thought he had been practicing wushu for years back in his world, and yet he lacks the stamina and agility to see and block Erza's attacks in time. _'This is actually I tougher than I thought.'_

"That was sloppy and pathetic!" Erza barked at her apprentice. "Do you even have any prior experience in fighting?"

"Well, during my youth, I would practice wushu in my school." Darren replied as he grabs his sword and slowly got up from the ground. "But that was really a long time ago, and I only got back to learning self-defense again from Sheena."

"I don't know what this wooshoo is, but if you are going to fight the Abbey and protect the people around you, you have to work twice as hard to rekindle the flames again." Erza said. "Now come at me!"

Darren lets out a yell before charging towards Erza and swinging his sword horizontally at her. Erza swiftly dodges the attack by leaning her body backwards. Before Darren could react, Erza jumps into the air and delivers a twirling kick across his face.

"OWW!" Darren yelled in pain as he places his hand on his cheek. As Erza turns back to Darren, she delivers an uppercut, hitting directly underneath his chin. This sends him stumbling backwards, dropping his wooden sword in the process. Erza suddenly charges up to Darren and stood in front of him, holding up her wooden sword in front of his throat. Darren froze with his hands held up, breathing heavily as he stares down at Erza in shock.

"Whoa…" Alicia said softly as she watched in awe. She is amazed by Erza's speed and fighting skills, but also concerned that Darren may not be able to keep up with her.

"That was the most pathetic display of swordsmanship I've ever seen." Erza said icily to Darren as she pushes aside a few strands of hair from her eyes. "NOW GIVE ME FIFTY PUSH-UPS!"

As soon as Erza removes her sword and moves aside, Darren adjusts his glasses and drops down with his hands pressed on the ground. He anxiously did his push-ups, not spending a second to turn his head and see Erza standing at his side and watching him with a dark glare.

Darren grumbled under his breath as he did his exercises. "This is going to be like National Service all over again…"

* * *

As they sat behind the campfire, Lucy, Gray, Sheena, Yuri, Estelle, Happy and Carla watch Natsu and Karol facing each other while standing several meters away from them. Wendy and Judith remain standing as they stood nearby and anticipate the upcoming session as well. Everyone had finished eating their lunch fifteen minutes ago and both Natsu and Karol are eager to begin their training.

"I totally love to see how Natsu tries to be an instructor." Gray said to Lucy with a small smirk.

Lucy glares at Gray and jabs her elbow against his right arm. "Be an optimist!" Lucy chided.

"Go Karol! I'm rooting for you!" Estelle cheered, smiling at the boy as she claps her hands. Karol gave a nod to Estelle before turning back to Natsu.

"Alright Karol. The first thing we'll do is throwing some punches." Natsu said with his hands placed at the sides of his hip.

"Umm…I don't know…" Karol replied.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" Natsu asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Natsu, I'm not a brawler. I don't fight with my fists like you. I fight with a hammer." Karol said, holding up the hammer in his hands. Upon this realization, Natsu lets his arms hang limply by his sides and stares blankly at Karol with his mouth agape and his eyes wide.

Gray groans and shakes his head. "Seriously?! He didn't notice that until now?!" He cried.

"We're really off to a great start." Yuri muttered as he buries his face into his hands.

"Umm, Natsu?" Karol asked, bewildered by the dumbfounded look on Natsu's face.

"Uhhhh…" Natsu uttered, struggling to respond to his student. He slaps himself across his face before suggesting to Karol, "Well, if that is the case, I think you'll need a weapons instructor."

"But who else can fight with a hammer like me?" Karol asked in dismay. "Using a hammer is different than fighting with a sword and spear, so I can't really have Yuri or Judith teaching me. And Erza isn't around here right now."

"Well…" Natsu scratches the back of his head, looking around in confusion until he sees Lucy gesturing him to come over. He turns back to Karol and said, "Excuse me for a moment."

"Okay." Karol said dishearteningly as he puts his hammer down on the ground. Natsu turns and runs over to Lucy.

Lucy gets up from the ground and asked Natsu when he is near her, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Yeah." Natsu nodded. The two walk away from the others and the campsite.

When they are several meters away from the campsite, Natsu grabs his hair in despair and cried to Lucy, "Aaaggghhh! I don't believe this! Why didn't I realize he wasn't a hand-to-hand combatant like me before I agreed to be his instructor?!"

Lucy sighs heavily. "You are always such an idiot." She said.

"Lucy, what should I do?!" Natsu asked, hoping to receive a satisfying answer from his friend.

Lucy gave Natsu a reassuring smile as she folds her arms and said, "Well, do you still remember the fights you have with anybody who wields a hammer or a similar weapon?"

Natsu rubs his chin and pouts as he pondered, "Well, there was this Rala guy back at the Sun Village years ago."

"Oh yeah, I remember that." Lucy deadpanned.

"Oh! And I remember how your celestial spirit Taurus swings his axe!" Natsu said with his eyes widened.

"That's right!" Lucy perked up. "Do you remember how they fought with their weapons?"

"Well, it's basically just swinging around and down but also holding up the weapon with strength and precision while fighting too." Natsu said.

"Correct." Lucy nods her head. "And I know you never use a hammer or axe before, but at least you can still teach Karol with what you have visualize."

"Hey, that's right! Thanks Lucy!" Natsu grins as he places his hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"Heh. You're welcome!" Lucy smiled back at her friend as she places her hands behind her back. The two walk back into the campsite, with Natsu eager to continue his training with Karol.

"Alright Karol. Let's-" Natsu suddenly cuts himself off when he noticed something unexpected happening in the campsite right now. In the distance, he sees Gray lecturing Karol while holding his makeshift hammer made of ice, and the small boy attentively listens to him as he speaks. Natsu's jaw plummeted as he stares at the display in shock and horror for a few seconds before screaming at the top of his lungs, "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"

"Oh, while you two were gone, Gray volunteers himself to be Karol's instructor since he had fought with a giant hammer with his Ice-Make magic." Sheena explained.

"Oh right, how can we forget about Gray's Ice-Make: Ice Hammer?" Lucy said as she throws her head back and places her hand on her forehead.

Natsu's look of shock soon distorts into a grimace of pure rage. He growls and shakes his fists uncontrollably as he watches Gray training who was supposed to be his apprentice. "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!" Natsu bellowed as he runs over to the two.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out to her friend.

"This is not going to be good, isn't it?" Estelle asked nervously.

"I believe so." Yuri replied grimly. Gray stops his lecturing for a moment as he and Karol lower their weapons and turn their heads to see Natsu running over to them, quivering with rage.

"GRAY!" Natsu shouted as he stops and stands beside Gray. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"What does it look like? Since you couldn't teach Karol here because you never fought with a hammer, I choose to have him under my wing instead." Gray said, arching an eyebrow at Natsu.

"I think you meant he's under _my_ wing!" Natsu yelled at Gray.

"WELL HE'S MY STUDENT NOW!" Gray snapped.

"NO HE AIN'T!" Natsu shouted back.

"SHUT UP, FLAME BREATH!"

"ICE CUBE SUCKER!"

Everyone present in the campsite stare blankly at the two men as they continuously argue and shout several creative nicknames at each other.

Wendy sighs heavily before murmuring, "Where's Erza when you need her?"

"GUYS! STOP!" Karol shouted, which is thankfully loud enough to make Natsu and Gray stop their pitiful argument. The two men turn to the boy and stare at him questioningly. "Look, if it makes you both feel better, I guess I can have two instructors. Is that okay?"

Natsu and Gray glare at each other before turning back to Karol again. "Alright." The two said in unison and nod their heads at the same time.

Karol sighs in relief. _'I hope Darren has better luck than me.'_

* * *

For the next two hours, Erza gave Darren plenty of exercises while Alicia idly watches them. First, Erza orders Darren to lie on the ground and do sit ups. She stood in front of him with her wooden sword held firmly in her hand. Darren huffed every time he pulls himself up from the ground with his hands placed on the back of his head. Every time he gets up, Erza will swing her sword horizontally at his head. Darren would quickly lie back down on the ground before her sword could hit him and the process repeats.

Afterwards, Erza and Darren stood in front of each other as they grasped their wooden swords while Alicia sat nearby against a tree and ate a loaf of bread that she had kept inside her pouch. Erza lets out a yell as she swings her sword vertically at Darren, delivering an overhead strike. Darren quickly reacted by holding up his sword and blocking her attack. However, only a brief second after the two stayed at a stalemate, Erza quickly lifts up her knee and hits him in the stomach.

"ARGH!" Darren groaned as he bends over. This allows Erza to push him on his chest, sending him reeling backwards until he trips and falls to the ground.

Next, Erza and Darren go over to a tree that has a large horizontal branch grew out of its side. She instructs him to grab onto the branch and do fifty pull-ups. Darren grits his teeth and snarled as he slowly pulls himself up until his chin reached over the top of the branch. Afterwards, Darren throws himself back down without having his feet touching the ground and repeats the process. The fact that he is using every ounce of strength he had to pull himself up made him realized how long he hadn't been doing any intense exercises.

While Darren does his pull-ups, Alicia and Erza leaned against the tree. The latter is holding a copy of _'Sorcerer Magazine'_ and the two girls read it together.

Alicia chuckled as she and Erza read an interview inside the magazine. "Sherria Blendy is so adorable." She commented.

"You can ask Wendy if you want to know even more about her." Erza said to Alicia.

"Really? She knows her?" Alicia asked, looking surprised.

"What did you say?" Darren asked, stopping for a moment and turning to the two women.

"Did I say you can stop and talk?!" Erza shot a glare at him. Darren flinched. He turns back to his front and continues exercising.

Next, Erza and Darren stood in front of each other again. By that point, Darren is feeling completely worn out, much of his exhaustion contributed from the pull-ups. Erza swings her sword vertically again and Darren blocks it by holding up his sword. She lifts her knee up, but this time, Darren shoves it away with his free hand.

"Heh." Darren smirked at Erza triumphantly. But without warning, Erza stomps on Darren's foot, making him throw his head back and yell in pain. This allows Erza to push him in the chest again and sends him reeling backwards.

Afterwards, just when Darren thinks his training session couldn't get any tougher, he is doing push-ups again. Only this time, Erza is sitting on his back Indian-style and continues reading her magazine. This time, she's reading the poll results for _'Who is the most attractive mage in Fiore?'_ Alicia on the other hand has gone off to gather wood for a campfire.

Erza clicks her tongue as she sees the poll results for the women. "Jenny Realight is second? Come on, she isn't that attractive compare to Mira." She mumbled.

"When I'm done…can I…see how Jenny…looks like?" Darren asked, struggling to speak between his push-ups.

"No." Erza said flatly, her eyes fixated on her magazine. Darren groans as Erza gently turns to the next page with her fingertips.

Finally, Erza and Darren stood in front of each other once again. As soon as Erza's stomach did a twist, Darren immediately lifts his sword up, knowing she is about to deliver an overhead strike again.

But instead, Erza swings her sword horizontally and Darren yells in pain as it hits the side of his stomach. He stumbled to side for a moment before Erza pushes him in the chest, sending him reeling backwards again. As Darren trips and falls to the ground, Erza lowers her weapon and shakes her head in disappointment.

* * *

Back at the campsite, Yuri and Estelle continue watching Natsu, Gray and Karol as they sat behind the campfire. Sheena has gone back into her tent to take a nap while Lucy, Happy and Carla have gone off to gather more wood for the fire.

Meanwhile, Natsu and Gray growl at each other before turning back to Karol.

"Alright, Karol." Both men said to the young boy in unison, much to his discomfort. Judith shakes her head as she and Wendy watched while standing nearby.

"Y-y-yes?" Karol asked nervously.

Gray gets into his fighting stance while holding his ice hammer steadily in his hands. "Relax yourself and calm your mind in order to keep your hammer steady in your hands." He instructed.

"And then swing it down when you are near your enemy." Natsu said as he points at a human statue made of ice behind Karol. The statue is clearly a creation of Gray which he has kindly provided for the training session. Karol turns around to face the statue while clinging onto the hilt of his hammer.

"Okay." Karol said. He holds the hammer in front of him while gazing at the statue. He takes a deep breath, slowly lifts his hammer up and-

"Halt. Are you aiming at the statue's head?" Natsu asked Karol.

"Yeah, I think so." Karol said, lowering his hammer while gazing at the statue in front of him.

"Okay, just asking." Natsu said before backing away from the boy.

Karol breathes heavily again before slowly lifting up his hammer-

"Wait! Your arms are shaking." Gray said, staring at Karol's arms.

"Huh? Am I?" Karol said as he lowers his hammer again and examines his arms.

"No he wasn't." Natsu said to Gray irritably.

"But I did notice them shaking a little bit." Gray said to the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"I guess you're both stupid and blind." Natsu muttered.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Gray shouted at Natsu.

"YEAH YOU HEARD ME!" Natsu snapped back.

"YOU BETTER SHUT UP OR I'LL KNOCK YOUR BRAINS OUT, CHARCOAL HEAD!"

"YOU SHUT UP TOO, FREEZER MOUTH!"

"THAT'S IT! I HAVE ENOUGH!" Karol screamed at the top of his lungs. Natsu and Gray instantly went silent and look back at the boy as he places his hammer down in frustration and whirled about. The two men widen their eyes as they see Karol snarling back at them.

"I HAD IT! I JUST HAD IT!" Karol continued shouting in rage as he stomps his foot. "All I just want is a decent training session from two members of the strongest guild in all of Fiore! But instead, for the last few hours, both of you are more focused on arguing among yourselves who is so much better while I am pushed to the wayside and not being taught anything!"

Realizing his mistake, Natsu tried to reply back to Karol, "K-Karol, I'm so sorry. I-"

"Shut up!" Karol yelled angrily as he jabs his finger at Natsu. "I accepted your offer to be my trainer because I thought you cared about me. But I guess I was wrong!"

"Karol, please calm down." Gray tried to reason with him.

"Then what?!" Karol turns to Gray and barked at him. "So that I can continue listening how stupid Natsu is compare to you? Yeah, as if I haven't known that for the last few hours! I…GAAAHHH!" Karol clutches the sides of his head and throws himself back before turning away from the two men and hastily walks back to his tent in rage and frustration.

As Natsu and Gray wordlessly watch their apprentice depart, they couldn't help but feel a heavy amount of guilt and shame inside them. The two continue standing there in a state of shock and remorse until they heard a cough.

"Ahem." The two men turn around to see Judith standing behind them. The woman glowered at them with her arms folded. "You two really should be ashamed of yourselves." Judith chided them. "Karol is a bright boy who is eager to learn something new and train himself hard. Yet you squandered his opportunities by only caring about yourselves."

Natsu and Gray lower their heads. "I guess we overdid it…" Gray murmured as he folds his arms.

"We were so focused on fighting each other until we lost sight of our main priority." Natsu said softly with his hands placed at the sides of his hips.

"You can make up for it by first reflecting upon your actions. Then, once you two have sorted it out, go directly to him and apologize. And when you do that, it better be from your heart." Judith turns around and walks off, leaving the boys to contemplate what she had said.

Moments later, Natsu and Gray look up at each other and nod their heads.

* * *

As he and Gray stood outside the tent, Natsu pushes the curtain aside to see Karol sitting on his mat with his head hanging down dejectedly.

"Hey there, are you okay?" Natsu asked Karol in concern as he and Gray slowly entered.

"Yeah, I've calm down. I guess." Karol replied wearily.

Natsu and Gray go over to the boy and sat beside him. "Karol, we're really sorry for what happened and what we did." Gray said apologetically.

"Yeah, what we did was really terrible." Natsu added.

Karol sighs painfully. "It's alright. I forgive the both of you. But I just want all of us to get along and work together. Isn't that what a guild is all about? That's what Don Whitehorse always tells us back at Altosk."

"Yeah, you're absolutely right. Unfortunately it seems we have forgotten what our own guild master taught us as well back there." Natsu said. "So Gray and I have thought of a better way to teach you. Instead of the both of us teaching you at the same time, Gray and I will take turns in doing so."

"We still wish to help you, Karol. But this time, we'll need to have less arguments and more discipline." Gray added.

Karol perked up as he looks back at Natsu and Gray. "Sounds good to me!"

Natsu and Gray smile back at Karol before the former said, "So what are you waiting for? Let's get back out there and continue our training!"

Karol nods his head in agreement. "Thanks guys. I really appreciate it."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey for reviewing, bahall1964 for favoriting and following and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	9. Training, Part 2

_**Training, Part 2**_

"97…98…99…100…"

"That's all for today." Erza said as she closes her magazine. Darren groans and collapses onto the ground after finishing his fifth round of push-ups today.

"Thank…God…" Darren took labored breaths as he laid there and let his sweat freely roll down the sides of his head. Erza walks over to him and gave a slight kick to his shoulder.

"Come on, get up. You look like a dead Vulcan." Erza said flatly.

Darren lifts ups his head and snapped, "I am most certainly NOT one of those…" He looked to the side and paused for a moment before turning back to Erza. "Whatever they are!"

"Would you like to do 25 more push-ups for yelling back at your instructor?" Erza gave Darren a dark, menacing glare. Darren flinched at the sight of it. He quickly gets up from the ground and sits down Indian-style.

"No, of course not. Sorry for yelling at you." Darren replied with a forced smile as his hands on his knees trembled.

"Good." Erza said before magically summoning two warm towels and hands one of them to her apprentice.

"Thanks." Darren said to her gratefully as he takes a towel from her. As he wipes off the sweat from his head and body, Erza turns to Alicia.

"You may pass him his dinner." Erza instructed.

Alicia scoops some vegetable soup out from a boiling pot placed above the campfire. After pouring the soup into two metal bowls, she walks over to Darren and hands one of them to him.

"Bon appetit." Alicia said.

"Yes, finally!" Darren said ecstatically as he takes the bowl from her.

"Ahem." Erza coughed, getting his attention.

Darren looks up at Erza who gestures him to Alicia. He turns to Alicia and sees that she is giving him a blank stare. Darren realized his mistake and said to her apologetically, "I mean, thank you…for the food."

"You're welcome." Alicia replied as she nods her head.

"You guys go ahead and eat. I'll keep watch of the area for a while." Erza said as she uses her own towel to wipe herself.

"Okay." Darren and Alicia both replied before Erza turns around and walks off.

Alicia sat beside Darren and said to him, "I hope you like it. It's salted vegetable soup."

Darren scoops some of his soup and vegetables with his spoon and eats it. He widens his eyes before removing his spoon from his mouth and commented, "It tastes good."

"Thanks." Alicia replied. Darren turns to her and sees a huge smile plastered across her face. They both stare wordlessly at each other for a moment before Alicia chuckled and asked, "What is it?"

"N-N-Nothing." Darren replied awkwardly as he looks back at his bowl of soup. "I just think…you are really talented. I mean you know how to cook dinner and navigate through a forest. It's like you are a true adventurer or something."

Alicia laughed. "Thanks again." She said as she pushes a few strands of hair away from her eyes. Alicia looks back at her own bowl of soup and the two quietly eat their dinner.

When they finished eating their food, they place their empty bowls aside on the ground and look up at the full moon that is shining brightly in the night sky and above the sea.

"It looks so beautiful up close." Alicia said softly.

"Indeed." Darren murmured in agreement.

"Soooo you're actually not from this world, huh?" Alicia asked Darren.

"Yeah." Darren simply replied.

Alicia paused for a moment before turning her head to Darren and asked, "How is it like?"

"What do you mean?" Darren asked as he turns to Alicia.

"I mean, how is your world like?" Alicia shrugged. "And also…how are things going on there?" Alicia explained.

"Oh, it's pretty boring actually…and admittedly, a bit chaotic too." Darren replied.

"How so?"

"Well, it's boring because mostly every day, you wake up from bed, get ready to go to work or school, and then when that's over, you go back home, have dinner with your family, do whatever remaining work you have left, go to bed, and then repeat the whole process again tomorrow…unless tomorrow is a weekend but that depends on your job too." Darren explained.

Alicia chuckled. "I can totally virtualize that."

"And it's chaotic too because…well, we humans are complicated. We are always finding ways to fight each other out of anger, pride, greed or selfishness…" Darren lowers his head as he paused for a moment. "And we just keep fighting until…it's too late for us to realize that our fights have deeply affected the people around us."

"Politics suck, right?" Alicia asked. Darren laughed a bit before looking back at her.

"Yeah, that's true." Darren said.

Alicia sighs heavily before looking back at the moon. "I wish people can just get along and live together peacefully as well. That is why I love Mother Nature so much. Every time you get yourself out of the human habitat, you will realize just how beautiful the world we live in actually is." She frowns and murmured. "And even that, we are slowly destroying it."

Darren looks back at the moon as well. "No matter how intelligent we are, we are still so clueless in many ways." Alicia nods her head in agreement.

"I see you two are done with dinner." Erza said as she walks over to them.

"Yup, it was great." Darren said as he and Alicia turn to her.

"Good." Erza said as she came to a stop. Darren gasped as Erza summons her wooden sword. "Now Darren, let's spar one more time."

"Ummm, actually, can I go for a toilet break?" Darren asked.

"Oh." Erza said, narrowing her eyes in disgust. "Okay, just go. But don't go too far away from here, and don't take too long either."

"I won't." Darren shakes his head. He hurriedly gets up from the ground and the two women watch him sped off into the trees.

"Actually, I would like to take a toilet break too." Alicia said sheepishly to Erza. "May I?"

Erza sighed. "Everybody's suddenly doing it." She murmured. "Alright, you may go as well. And make sure Darren doesn't lose his way."

"No problem." Alicia gets up from the ground and runs off into the trees.

* * *

Darren bends over and catches his breath after running several miles away from the training area. After doing several intensive exercises throughout the entire day, Darren wished he could finally relax. But Erza's suggestion of having another sparring session after dinner made him want nothing more than to flee from that demonic drill sergeant with scarlet hair. Darren stood up and flexes his arms, wincing as he felt the aching pain inside his muscles.

"I don't know if I can survive another day of this!" Darren said exasperatedly.

"Darren?"

Darren cries out in surprise before whirling about and raising his hands in front of his face. "Please do not tor-" He stops mid-sentence when he realized that he is facing Alicia, who stares back at him in confusion.

"Are you okay?" Alicia asked in concern.

Darren sighs in relief before replying, "I'm fine. It's just…I am so tired and stressful throughout the entire day! And I still have another day of this tomorrow!" Darren ends by turning to the tree beside him and placing his forehead against its trunk in frustration.

As Darren blows out another sigh, Alicia walks over to him and pats him on his back. "I'm sorry. I know how you feel." She said softly.

"I just wish I can relax right now because I'm sooooo exhausted. Please just let me lie down on a soft armchair and have a nice drink too. And speaking of drinks, I really miss drinking cola." Darren said wearily.

"I like to relax too. But that's human nature." Alicia shrugged. "We all have to get our butts up and work every day. And if we don't do something for ourselves, who will?"

Darren backs away from the tree and turns to Alicia. "Sometimes I wish Mavis could have given the sacred weapon on someone else instead of me. Because what exactly am I good at?"

"Sir, we found him."

Darren and Alicia gasped. "Did you hear that?" The latter asked.

"Good. Where is he?"

Darren widens his eyes and drops his jaw in horror as he recognized the dreadful voice. "It's him…"

"Who?" Alicia asked softly. Darren slowly turns around and cautiously walks over to the direction of the voice. "Darren, where are you going?" She said barely above a whisper. But Darren ignored her as he kept walking. Knowing that Erza has assigned her to not lose sight of him, Alicia reluctantly follows him from behind.

Darren and Alicia walk over to a row of shrubs. He widens his eyes as he sees a familiar group of soldiers. He quickly places his hand on Alicia's shoulder and they both duck down and hide behind the shrubs.

"What's going on?" Alicia asked worriedly. Darren responded to her by placing a finger in front of his sealed lips. The two slowly rise up and take a peek at what is going on. Darren widens his eyes upon seeing a familiar figure that wore a white conquistador helmet and a golden mask. He and Alicia could see him and five other praetors gathering around a man with gray hair and moustache and wears a light brown cowboy hat, a light brown sleeveless jacket, a white long-sleeved shirt, black pants and black boots, lying on the ground in pain and confusion.

Mala Makra approaches the man and kneels down to his level. "Tell me, sir. What is your name?"

After taking a few deep breaths, the man looks up at the masked knight and replied, "Herschel. My name is Herschel."

Mala nods his head. He turns to the praetors and ordered them, "Get him up. And check on him."

Three praetors walk over to them. Two of them go around Herschel and carefully pick him up by his arms. Herschel groans as he still felt the pain coming from his legs. Mala steps aside to allow the third praetor to stand in front of him. Herschel watches in confusion as the third praetor gets out a device and thoroughly scans his body.

"Tell me Herschel. Where are you from?" Mala inquired.

"Austin, Texas." Herschel replied.

Darren gasped and whispered, "A city from my world."

"What were you back in your hometown?" Mala asked.

"A mem'er of the Austin Police Department. My rank was lieutenant." Herschel said. He groans again as he couldn't feel his legs. "Sir, please help me. I don't remember how I ended up 'ere…but I think I hurt my legs…as if I just had a fall or somethin'."

The third praetor steps away from Herschel when he finished scanning him. He turns to Mala and said, "There are no traces of magic inside him."

"Magic?" Herschel said questioningly. "What the hell is he talking about?"

Mala nods his head to the praetor before turning to Herschel. "Don't worry, sir. Everything will be fine…as long as you willingly corporate with us." He turns to the two other praetors who still standing behind him. "Bring him back to the ship."

Herschel widens his eyes in surprise as he watches the two praetors magically summon two staffs with large metal claws at the top of them. After grabbing hold of the staffs, the praetors aim them at Herschel's neck. They activate them and the claws opened, causing Herschel to gasp in horror.

Darren and Alicia drop their jaws as they continue watching from behind the shrubs in terror.

As the praetors approach him, Herschel helplessly struggles to break free from the praetors who are still holding onto him, but they firmly grasp onto his arms and stood in place. "W-w-what are you doing to me?! Who the hell are all of you?! What's going-ACK!"

Herschel gets cut off when the praetors now clamp the claws around his neck and push him down, forcing him to get down on his knees. Alicia places her hands over her mouth as she trembled.

"Take him away." Mala ordered as he turned and makes his departure. Darren and Alicia quickly get down and conceal themselves behind the shrubs as Mala and the praetors begin to leave with Herschel. As they turn around and kneel, covering their mouths to keep themselves silent, all they could do is hear the helpless screams of distress and sheer terror from Herschel as he gets pulled up and dragged away by the Abbey.

"LET GO OF ME! HELP! SOMEONE HELP! PLEASE! SOMEBODY! HEEEELLLLPPPP!"

After the screams and footsteps have died down, Darren turns around, gets up and looks around to make sure that the praetors and Herschel have disappeared. He sighs in relief after knowing that Mala and his men are nowhere in sight.

He turns to Alicia and sees the girl burst into tears after the horrifying experience she and Darren had. Her sobs are muffled by her hands that are still placed over her mouth. Darren's eyes softened as he sat down beside her and places his hand on her back, comforting her as she silently weeps.

"Darren! Alicia!" The two look up to see Erza standing in front of them, staring back at them in confusion. "What happened?" She asked.

Darren glances at Alicia who wipes the tears away from her eyes. He looks back at Erza and replied, "I'll tell you when we get back."

* * *

"I see." Erza said grimly after Darren explained to her what he and Alicia had seen. The three are now sitting around the campfire while Alicia is still trying to emotionally recover from the terrible experience as she kept her head down and stares at the ground with tearstained eyes.

"I felt so useless, not being able to do anything because he was there. The praetor with the golden mask." Darren said dishearteningly.

"Yeah, I know who you are talking about." Erza said, vividly remembering her fight with Mala back on the Magic Council ship.

"That is why…I'm going to stop trying to be a swordsman." Darren said solemnly. Erza and Alicia look at him in shock.

"W-what?" Alicia asked dumbfounded.

"Because if I keep trying, I will never take Erza's training and my mission to find Mavis seriously." Darren explained. "I have to stop being so reluctant to do something. If I'm going to find Mavis, protect my friends, fight against the Abbey and rescue the people they have captured, I have to be serious about my responsibilities!"

Erza and Alicia watched in awe as Darren picks up his sword, gets up from the ground and stares boldly at his instructor.

"Erza, I want to be a swordsman. And I need you to help me." Darren said before holding up his sword and getting into his fighting stance.

Erza smirked at Darren before getting up and magically summoning her wooden sword. "That is exactly what I want." Erza said, getting into position as well.

Darren smiled back at her before letting out a yell as he charges towards her.

* * *

As soon as the sun rises up, Erza woke Darren and Alicia up and begins the second day of training. Darren does the usual push-ups and again, Erza sat on his back as he did. She magically summons her flask and takes a sip of water. As Alicia stood near them, she could see Darren taking heavy breaths every time he lowers his body before rising back up. She can tell that Darren could feel the weight and pressure on his back, but he remain firm, knowing he have to endure the pain in order to get himself stronger. A smile appears on Alicia's face as she couldn't help but admire his newly-gained sense of determination.

Later that day, as Alicia returns back to the campsite after gathering a pile of wood, Darren does sit-ups with Erza kneeling in front of him with her knees pressed on his feet. As Alicia kneels down and neatly places the wood together, she turns to Darren and noticed the grin on his face as he could feel himself regaining his strength and stamina after his years of slacking off. Alicia smiles at Darren again before she gets out her flint and starts the campfire.

Another hour later, as Alicia prepares breakfast, Erza instructs Darren how to swing and fight with his sword. Erza stood at the side with her arms folded. She scowled as she watched Darren swinging his sword both horizontally and vertically with every step he makes.

"Don't pause after every swing! Keep moving!" Erza yelled.

Darren then turns around and swings his sword around smoothly as he walks. He smiled as he felt his days of being a practitioner of Wushu coming back into his mind. He couldn't believe how long it has been since he actually wields a sword and shows off his fighting skills before giving up on his curriculum and become isolated from the public by drowning himself in video gaming and watching anime. But through Erza's training, he felt that sense of accomplishment and enthusiasm coming back to him.

After swinging his sword a few more times, he proceeds to do a cartwheel and a backflip. When he lands his feet on the ground, he quickly takes a step back and holds up his wooden sword horizontally in front of his face. A few seconds later, after coming back to his senses, Darren turns to Erza and Alicia who stare at him in bewilderment.

Darren chuckled sheepishly at them. "Sorry, it just suddenly came to me."

* * *

Later that day, after doing a couple more exercises, Erza finally decides to give her apprentice a break, much to his relief. As Darren and Erza put away their swords, Alicia approaches them with three metal plates containing eggs and bacon strips. She hands two of the plates to Darren and Erza and they thank her. The three go over to the edge of the cliff where they can eat and admire the view of the ocean at the same time.

"The ocean sure is beautiful, isn't it?" Erza asked.

"Yeah." Alicia said with a blissful smile.

"It sure is." Darren agreed. He looks down at his food and his teeth breaks into a grin. "Let's eat." He uses his fork to pick up a bacon strip before bending his head forward-

"HAAAAAH!" Suddenly, Erza yelled as she swings her sword vertically at Darren. Except this time, Darren swiftly dodges it by taking a step back. Darren turns to Erza and scowled.

"Nice try." Darren simply said to Erza. His master flashes a quick smirk at him as Alicia quickly walks away from them, knowing that another fight is about to happen.

Erza charged towards Darren and swings her sword horizontally at him. Darren dodges it again by sliding through the ground while holding onto his plate of food. He quickly turns around and get up, just in time to see Erza thrusting her wooden sword towards his face. Darren dodges again by moving sideways. He runs over to where he placed his sword down while Erza turn around and chases him from behind.

As Erza jumps into the air and prepares to deliver an overhead strike on her apprentice, Darren swiftly picks up his sword, turns around and blocks her attack by holding his weapon up. Erza lands on her feet and the two began letting loose a series of swift attacks at each other which they could keep up. As they are swinging their swords and blocking their attacks, they still both held onto their plates of food in one hand. Darren blocked a horizontal slash from Erza, who quickly switched and attacked vertically. When Darren blocks the attack, Erza quickly moves back and swings her sword horizontally at his stomach. Darren moves back and dodges the attack in time.

Darren then swings his sword horizontally at Erza, who quickly blocks it. She pushes him back and delivers a horizontal strike at his head. Darren ducked and slashed vertically. Erza jumps back as Darren gets up. The two yell as they charge towards each other and swing their swords diagonally at the same time. They entered a stalemate and they push their swords against each other. They scowled and never utter a single word as they just silently stood and gaze into each other's eyes.

Finally, after a few more moments, they lower their swords and back away from each other. Erza smiled warmly at Darren, proud of his brilliant display of swordsmanship.

"You did well, my apprentice." Erza said.

"Thank you, master." Darren said as a wide smile plastered across his face. The two bow their heads solemnly to each other before they stand up and see Alicia walking over to them.

"Great job." Alicia smiled at Darren. He chuckled in response before the three sat down on the ground and began eating their food together.

* * *

Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Yuri, Estelle, Karol, Judith and Sheena sat around the burnt-out campfire, eating the apples and berries that they have collected from the forest the other day from their bowls.

"This taste gweat!" Wendy said with her mouth full as she happily munches on her apple.

"Even if it's different from the usual eggs and soup, this is a very acceptable substitute." Judith said in amusement before eating her berries.

Karol sighs happily after he finished eating his apple. He turns to Natsu and Gray and smiled. "Natsu, Gray, thank you for the lessons yesterday." He said gratefully.

"You're welcome." Natsu responded.

"And thank you and Judith too for teaching us something as well." Gray added.

"Huh? What did you guys learn?" Karol said in confusion.

"That if we put aside our differences and actually work together, the final results are truly rewarding." Natsu said.

Karol nods his head with a wide smile. "That's very true."

Gray chuckled as Natsu continues eating his berries. "I gotta say, for once, you actually sound pretty intelligent there." He said.

Natsu pouted and shot a glare at him. "What's that supposed to mean? It sounds like you're saying that this is the first time I actually sounded smart."

"Well, I mean most of time, you were dumb and-"

"You take that back, ice brain!" Natsu snapped at Gray as he stood up.

"Why are you shouting at me?!" Gray yelled back as he gets up from the ground and looks down at Natsu. "I was trying to be nice to you for once and you decided to ruin it, flame head!"

"Ice cubes for lungs!"

"Smoke breath!"

"Brains constantly melting from the sun!"

"Hoo boy, here we go again." Sheena deadpanned, rolling her eyes at the latest argument between the two men.

"I'm feeling…uncomfortable right now." Estelle said as she bites down her lower lip.

"Those two…" Lucy muttered as she shakes her head. "Acting wildly over the tiniest of things…"

"I guess some things about them never change." Karol shrugged.

"That is enough, you two!" A familiar voice scolded as she approaches the two men.

"SHUT UP!" Natsu and Gray both roared as they swing their fists in blind rage and deliver well-aimed punches into the woman's face. When the woman landed on the ground, Natsu and Gray look down at her and within a second, they drop their jaws in horror, realizing that the one they have punched…was none other than Erza Scarlet.

Everyone present in the campsite, including Darren and Alicia, has gone white as sheets as their eyes widened in complete and utter shock. Upon realizing what had happened and what they had done, Natsu and Gray yell in sheer terror.

Within a heartbeat, Erza jolts up from the ground and gave the two boys the ugliest scowl she had ever displayed in her life.

"So…" She uttered darkly.

Natsu and Gray scream one last time before Erza delivers the biggest beating she had ever given to anyone.

* * *

After packing up their stuff, everybody leave the field and continue travelling through the forest. Erza, Karol, Darren and Alicia took charge of the large group while Lucy and Yuri are both carrying Natsu and Gray respectively as the two are still dazed and badly injured by Erza's beating. Both boys, now having several bruises all over their bodies, have their arms wrap around the backs of Lucy and Yuri. The two held onto them as Natsu and Gray stagger alongside them. Everybody else walk ahead of them.

"Hope you guys learn a valuable lesson." Lucy muttered to the injured boys.

"Erza…hit me…badly…" Natsu mumbled in pain.

"So awful…scary…" Gray moaned, barely above a whisper.

Darren glanced at them before turning to Erza. "Perhaps you really went too far."

"Sorry but I can't remember the last time I checked how strong I really am." Erza replied as she cracked her knuckles. She turns to her apprentice and smiled, "Now then, are you looking forward to finding Mavis and travelling to Mizuho?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." Darren nodded.

"I hope so. Because the next time we face an enemy, you better not stand there idly and let others do all the work again." Alicia said to him.

"I won't let that happen again." Darren replied.

"Neither do I!" Karol said confidently as he pumps his fist into the air.

"Alright!" Darren laughed as he holds his fist up to Karol's level. Karol grins at him before giving Darren a fist-bump.

Darren, Karol, Erza and Alicia turn back to the front and smiled as they kept their heads held high, looking forward to continuing their journey…and hoping Natsu and Gray can recover from their injuries before their next battle.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey for reviewing, Patri36 for favoriting and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	10. Operation Halo, Part 1

_**Operation Halo, Part 1**_

The city of Malba is a fairly small settlement located in the southern region of Fiore, housing roughly 30,000 people. A year ago, a dark guild known as Avatar attempted to invade the town and plan to sacrifice the lives of all of its inhabitants to participate in a ritual that would attract the attention of the Black Mage known as Zeref. But thanks to the efforts of Team Natsu, Avatar was quickly stopped and the town and its people were spared from invasion.

But a year later, the Abbey came to accomplish what Avatar couldn't.

The once small and peaceful town that is known for its mixture of urban settlement and lush greenery now serves as an outpost for the Abbey, and it's 30,000 inhabitants live and work in fear under their control.

Inside the building that once served as the town hall, a certain black-haired woman silently stood behind the large glass window of the mayor's office, looking out at the town and watching the praetors patrolling the streets. The civilians would bow down to them as they walk past them out of fear.

Suddenly, her moment of silence was interrupted when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Velvet called out.

The door opened, revealing a woman whose red hair is tied into two ponytails by yellow ribbons with blue flowers on them. She is dressed in a long-sleeved blue jacket, white gloves, and a white dress and long white boots decorated with yellow highlights.

The woman closes the door behind her after stepping in and gave Velvet a salute as she greeted, "Second Lieutenant Eleanor Hume reporting, ma'am."

"At ease. What's to report?" Velvet inquired as she continued staring out the window.

Eleanor looks down at the piece of paper she had been holding in her hand. "Captain Makra and his unit have retrieved a magicless human in Quoi Woods and are escorting him back to HQ." She reported.

"I see. Anything else?" Velvet asked.

"Also, according to Scout Squad 17, the barrier over Halure has been restored." Eleanor said.

"What?" Velvet whirled about and stares at the second lieutenant in shock. "How is that possible? I thought we have weakened that town's source of magic."

"We're not sure, but somehow they fixed it." Eleanor replied as she lowers her paper.

Velvet momentarily grits her teeth. "Do you think it was Fairy Tail? I remember our forces engaged some of their members in battle while attempting to invade Halure."

"Possibly. And with the barrier back up, I don't think we'll be able to commence another invasion on them anytime soon." Eleanor said.

"We won't. Leave Halure for now. Right now, I wish to go to Hargeon." Velvet said flatly as she clenches her fists tightly.

"What for, lieutenant?" Eleanor asked.

"To meet with Second Lieutenant Muruta Azrael and oversee Operation Halo." Velvet replied as she begins walking her way to the door behind Eleanor. As the second lieutenant moves out of the way, Velvet stops beside her for a moment. "At the meantime, Second Lieutenant Hume, you will stay here and serve as acting governor of this town."

"Understood." Eleanor nods her head. "But ma'am, don't mind asking, why do you suddenly wish to go to Hargeon?"

"Hargeon is one of the nearest cities to Magnolia, where Fairy Tail is headquartered." Velvet said, glaring at Eleanor. "If the people at Hargeon start panicking when we begin the operation, they will show up somehow. And if we wish to continue invading Fiore northwards, we must deal with Fairy Tail now."

* * *

After hours of walking from their last campsite, Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia, Darren and Sheena arrived at Hargeon Town by evening. The members of Team Natsu vividly remember this place, not only because they have been here a couple of times before, but also because this is the town where Lucy would meet Natsu and Happy for the first time and eventually become a member of the most powerful guild in Fiore, a decision which to this day, she never regret choosing.

Currently, everyone is walking through the town's marketplace which similar to Underwood, is made up of several stalls lined up along the sides of the road. The lights coming from the windows of the buildings and the lampposts installed alongside the pavements help illuminate the streets and bring life to the peaceful port town throughout the night.

One stall in the marketplace that immediately caught Estelle's attention was one that sells all sorts of books. She rushes over to the stall and began searching through the books that are on sale with her eyes grown as wide as saucers. When she found a book that interests her, she picks it up and begins reading it with her eyes gazing upon its pages and analyzing its contents.

"She sure loves to read, doesn't she?" Yuri asked Karol as they and Judith stood behind and watched her.

"Back in Zaphias, she rarely gets out of the palace and mostly passes her time away by reading all sorts of books in her library." Karol said to Yuri.

"I guess that's why everything beyond the boundaries of her town amazes her." Yuri said. Karol and Judith nod their heads.

Meanwhile, Sheena, Wendy, Happy and Carla are standing in front of another stall that sells plush toys. A huge smile is plastered across Wendy's face as the sky dragon slayer picks up a teddy bear and holds it up in front of her.

"This one looks really cute." Wendy commented as she and Carla look at the bear. Happy on the other hand continues looking at the other plush animals that are displayed at the stall.

"Yeah, I like the eyes." Carla said with a small smile as she examines the bear her friend is holding.

"I wonder if there's any plush animal that resembles a fish." Happy said as he continues staring at the plush animals on sale.

"What do you think, Sheena?" Wendy asked as she and Carla turn their heads to the older woman. But they notice that Sheena paid no attention to her as she silently gazed at a plush animal on the table that resembles a small yellow fox with black ears, orange hair, brown paws, and three long curled-up tails with green, light blue and dark blue stripes. It also wears a red necklace with a yellow bell around its neck.

The shopkeeper standing behind the table chuckled and asked Sheena, "You like it?"

"Huh?" Sheena snaps out of her thoughts as the shopkeeper picks up the plush fox and holds it up to her.

"Go on." The shopkeeper coaxed her. Sheena takes the plush fox from the shopkeeper and continues staring at it as she holds it in her hands.

After what felt like a few moments of silence, a huge smile finally appears on Sheena's face as her cheeks blushed. She holds the plush fox up to the tip of her nose as she began cooing sweetly, "Who's a cute little fox? Who's such a cutie little adorable foxy, huh?"

Unbeknownst to Sheena, Alicia laughed as she and Darren stood nearby along with Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Erza who are at a stall that sells healing potions and bandages.

"Your friend is actually quite funny." Alicia said to Darren as the two watch her.

"Nah, she just acts funny when she wants to." Darren shrugs.

After taking a bag of potions and bandage rolls from the shopkeeper, Erza hands him some jewel notes. "Here you go, sir." She said.

"Thank you very much." The shopkeeper smiled as he takes the payment from her.

"We appreciate the discount too." Lucy added.

"No problem at all. I'm just glad to see members of Fairy Tail in our town. With the ongoing war against the Abbey, I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that you guys are here." The shopkeeper replied.

"Right. With the Abbey invading several parts of the southern region of Fiore and Hargeon being located in the southeast, it's no wonder why the people in this town have become less lively." Gray said, having noticed that the townspeople in Hargeon are mostly quiet.

"But if an invasion does come to this town, we'll be ready." A voice said.

"Huh? That's supposed to be our line." Natsu said as he arches an eyebrow.

He, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Darren and Alicia turn to their right to see a man walking up to them. He has shoulder-length brown hair, purple eyes and dressed in a long-sleeved red uniform with two white straps over his body. Both at the side of his sleeves are white round circles with a black trident-shaped emblem in them and at the top of his shoulders are two black shoulder marks with white stripes and stars. The right strap has a silver buckle while the left has cobalt and gold badges pinned onto it. He also wore white gloves, red pants, a white belt with a silver buckle and black boots.

"Judging by your tattoos, you guys are from Fairy Tail, right?" The man asked Team Natsu as he places his hands at the sides of his hip.

"Yes, we are." Natsu said as he folds his arms. "My name is-"

"Natsu Dragneel." The man said before he could finish.

"Um, yeah." Natsu replied as he now stares blankly at him.

"And you three are Lucy Heartfilia, Gray Fullbuster and Erza Scarlet, right?" The man asked the other three members of Team Natsu.

"Yes, you're right." Lucy responded to him dumbfounded.

"Who are you? And how do you know who we are?" Erza asked, frowning at the man questioningly.

"Nolan." Yuri said as he walks over to the man from behind.

Nolan turns around and his eyes widened. He grins at Yuri as he places his hand on his shoulder. "Yuri, buddy! What a pleasant surprise to see you here! Though, why aren't you in uniform?"

"Long story short, I actually grew tired of being a knight. Guess I wasn't meant to be just like you." Yuri deadpanned.

"Come on Yuri, don't sound like that. Give me a smile, will ya?" Nolan asked. Yuri remains silent as he continues frowning at him. Nolan smirked as he suddenly places his finger at the side of Yuri's lip and pushes it up, managing to form a small lopsided smirk on his face.

"Stop." Yuri said flatly as he gently shoves Nolan's hand away.

Nolan sighs and shakes his head in disappointment. "You're no fun."

"Yuri? You know this guy?" Darren asked as Alicia and Team Natsu look equally surprised.

"Yup, he's a friend of mine back at the Magic Council." Yuri said to them.

Nolan turns back to Darren, Alicia and Team Natsu and places his right fist at his chest as he stood up straight. "My name is Captain Nolan Mathias." He points at the black trident symbol on the side of his left sleeve. "And I'm the leader of the Faction, a commando squad within the Rune Knights."

"A commando squad?" Gray said curiously.

"Oh and speaking of the Rune Knights, it was my brother who told me all about you guys." Nolan said as he lowers his hand.

"Your brother?" Lucy said puzzled.

Nolan holds up his finger in the air and slides it down. Darren and Alicia widen their eyes in amazement as Nolan magically brings up a folder in front of them. Nolan clicks on the folder and brings up several small photos. He clicks on one of the photos and it enlarges. Upon seeing the photo, Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Erza drop their jaws as they see Nolan, dressed in a black suit, pants and shoes, smiling as he stands beside and wraps his arm around a taller man who looks rather annoyed. The man has purple eyes, black hair tied to a bun and wears glasses, a white cape that drapes over his shoulders, white gloves, a long dark blue jacket with a light blue shirt with the Magic Council's symbol on it underneath, a black belt with a gold buckle around his waist, white pants and white shoes.

The four members of Fairy Tail shouted a name upon seeing the familiar person standing next to Nolan in the photo.

"LAHAR?!"

* * *

After finishing their shopping at the marketplace, everyone including Nolan head to Hargeon Park where there are people strolling through the area, relaxing and not having a care for the world. Nolan and Erza sat together on a wooden bench while Darren, Sheena and the members of Team Natsu stood in front of them. Yuri and the members of Brave Vesperia stood behind them and the bench.

"It's true that Lahar was my older brother, and also my main inspiration in joining the Rune Knights." Nolan said to everyone around him.

"Was?" Darren asked in confusion.

"Lahar died during an attack on the Magic Council Headquarters by a dark guild known as Tartaros two years ago." Lucy explained to him. Darren nods his head before he and Lucy look back at Nolan.

"Lahar first joined the Rune Knights eleven years ago, and I was only eight back then. I was amazed that he would quickly rise to the rank of Captain within just a single year. But I'm not surprised either because he was always better than me, just like an elder brother who is ten years older than me would. Because of his job and sworn duty to protect the people of Fiore, Lahar and I rarely see each other afterwards, but he would still pay visits to me and my parents at least a single weekend every month. And for nine years straight, every time he finished staying with us and get ready to return to work, I will always tell him before he steps out of our home that one day, I'm going to become a Rune Knight as well, work alongside him and even achieve the same rank of Captain. But my dream of working with him went unfulfilled, as two years ago…" Nolan paused and lowers his head. "It happened."

"Tartaros' attack on the Magic Council Headquarters." Yuri said grimly.

Nolan nods his head. "After the attack, my parents and I were informed by the Rune Knights to travel to Era to identify Lahar's body. We went there…and we saw the dead body of my older brother. We were all devastated that we have lost a relative that day, and I lost the person whom I looked up to. I would finally join the Rune Knights when I reach the age of 18, a year after his death. And just like Lahar, I achieved the rank of Captain within a year and even form a squad of my own. And yet…" Nolan lifts his head up, stroking back his hair as he looks up at the clouds in the sky. "I felt so melancholy…knowing that my brother wasn't alive to see how far I've come."

"We and Lahar honestly didn't see eye to eye when he was alive. But you still have our condolences over the loss of your relative." Erza said to Nolan solemnly.

"Thank you." Nolan said as he turns to Erza with a wan smile. "And don't worry," He winks an eye at her. "Unlike my brother, I have no ill-will towards the number 1 guild in Fiore."

"There you are, Captain. We have been looking all over for you." A feminine voice said. Everyone look up or turn around to see two figures approaching towards them. One of them is a girl with blonde hair, tied to two short pigtails and wears a white officer hat, a similar long-sleeved red uniform, tan skirt, white stockings and black boots. She also has two white straps over her body, but unlike Nolan, there is only a single gold badge pinned on her left strap and she only wears one black glove on her right hand.

The other is a tall dark-skinned man with large messy black hair and wears a similar red uniform, white gloves, red pants and black boots as Nolan. But like the woman beside him, there is only one gold badge pinned on his left strap and unlike her and Nolan, his uniform is unbuttoned, revealing a light gray collar shirt underneath it.

"Don't mean to speak out of my mind but as a superior officer, you still know how to slack off from your patrolling duties and hang out with civilians." The dark-skinned man said with a lopsided smirk.

Nolan chuckled as he gets up from the bench while Darren, Sheena and Team Natsu step out of his way. "Well, even I have to relax once in a while, right Lucas?" He responded as he walks over to his fellow soldiers. After placing himself in front of his men, Nolan turns around to the others still gathered around the bench. "Everyone, these are my fellow squad members. They are lieutenants Tryo Eriksson and Lucas Nova."

"Nice to meet you two." Lucy greeted and smiled warmly at the two. But her smile faded when Tryo flinched upon seeing her and Team Natsu.

"Captain, the boy with pink hair is Natsu Dragneel, isn't he?!" Tryo asked Nolan furiously.

"Yes he is." Nolan replied.

"The same mage who brought destruction upon Domus Flau and the Mercurius Palace at Crocus a year ago, right?!" Tryo barked.

The members of Team Natsu cringed while Nolan chuckled nervously as he scratches the back of his head. "Yup, that's him."

Tryo jabs a finger accusingly at Natsu as she yelled, "Listen to me, Natsu Dragneel! You may be pardoned by King Fiore for the crimes you committed back then, but that doesn't mean the Rune Knights will ever forget what you did!"

Natsu snorted and rolls his eyes. "Seriously? You guys are still harping on that?"

"Natsu!" Lucy chided him.

"What?" Natsu asked her in annoyance.

"Anyways…" Nolan interrupted as he turns back to his teammates. "Tryo, Lucas, is there anything you want to report to me?"

"Yes sir." Lucas said as he and Tryo stood up straight. "Tryo and I found a large patch of land at the outskirts of Hargeon, completely burnt and decimated of any plant life."

"All of the grass, bushes and even the trees that were grown in the area were eradicated into nothing but ash and dirt. But the fire didn't spread to the rest of the field. The burning just stopped around the radius. What do you think caused this? A blast of fire magic from a mage?" Tryo asked Nolan.

"Perhaps, but there's only one way to know for sure. Take me to the site where you found this." Nolan said to Tryo and Lucas.

"Yes Captain!" The two said in unison.

"Can we come along?" Erza asked Nolan and his team as she, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Happy and Carla approach them.

"Huh?! After what you guys did at Crocus, no way!" Tryo yelled at her.

"But what if this turns out into something that just the three can't handle on your own?" Lucy asked.

"Right. In case that happens, you will need all the help you can get." Wendy added.

Tryo tries to speak up but Nolan holds his hand up in front of her face. As Tryo looks at her superior in confusion, Nolan said to Team Natsu, "If my brother was here, no. But since I'm not him…" His lips curved into a small smile. "Yes, you all may join us."

"Mind if we come along?" Darren asked as he and Sheena walks up to Team Natsu and the Faction.

"Yeah, I don't want to stay behind and miss out on the action like back in Halure." Sheena said as she places her hands at the back of her head.

"Sure. We may need your help, Sheena. But are you really sure you want to come along with us, Darren?" Natsu asked.

"If I want to protect my friends, I must have the courage to fight alongside them too." Darren replied.

Erza smiled at Darren and nods her head. "Very well then. You can come with us, Darren."

"Thanks guys." Darren said.

"Sir, one of us would have to stay behind to look after the town." Lucas said to Nolan.

"Yuri, Judith, Estelle and I will stay here and guard the town while you guys are gone." Karol said. Yuri, Judith and Estelle nod their heads as they stand behind Karol while Alicia walks over to the others.

"Karol ordered me to come along with you so that you guys can find your way back to Hargeon." Alicia said to Darren, Sheena and Team Natsu.

"Alright. Thanks." Erza said to Alicia, Yuri and Brave Vesperia.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Lowell." Nolan said to Yuri as the two solemnly nod to each other. Nolan turns back to Tryo and Lucas and commanded, "Alright! Move out!"

* * *

Everyone walk through the outskirts of Hargeon at night as Nolan, Lucas and Tryo all hold up their lanterns which they summon when they first departed the town. They walked for fifteen minutes before arriving at the large and wide circular area in the grassy field that was decimated. Darren, Alicia, Sheena and Team Natsu stare at it in awe before they and the Faction slowly walk their way over to the center of it. The entire area has been blackened and not a single leaf or piece of grass can be seen in it.

"As you can see, the area is completely cleared of any plant life." Tryo said before pointing her finger at the grass and lush greenery still growing outside the boundaries of the circle. "And yet if it was caused by flames, it didn't spread to the rest of the field."

When they arrived at the center of the circular area, Alicia kneels down and places her hand on the barren ground.

"Need more light?" Lucas asked as he walks over to Alicia and places his lantern down on the ground beside her.

"Thanks." Alicia responded. She turns her head to the side and notices that the depth of the center of the area is slightly lower than the rest of it. She cups her chin as she continues examining the ground.

"What is it, Alicia?" Darren asked as everyone gathered around her.

"Notice that the center of the area is slightly lower than the rest of it." Alicia said.

"Yeah, you're right. The center of the area is curved like a saucer too." Lucy said, looking down at the ground where Alicia is kneeling on top of.

"Now notice that the surface molecular deformations are curved." Alicia said as she points her finger at the ground below her feet. Nolan kneels down and could barely see several curved lines along the area where Alicia is pointing at.

"I see it. But what could this mean?" Nolan said.

"If it's a blast like Tryo suggested, perhaps the center of this circular area was hit by something." Alicia said.

"Like a bomb or someone punching and landing on the ground?" Natsu implied.

Alicia looks up at Natsu. "Exactly." Everyone gasped. Alicia looks back at the ground and examines the curved lines. "Something must have landed here, then curve around to create such lines."

"Like the blast was going around like a spiral." Darren said, widening his eyes.

"Correct. Then while the center of the blast remains in the middle, its waves kept spiraling round and round until it stops at the boundaries of the area that is demarcated." Alicia lifts her head up again. Everyone turn to the direction where Alicia is staring and sees the greenery growing along the boundaries of the decimated area again.

"So something did drop down here and destroyed this area." Wendy said as Alicia stood up. "But what could it be?"

Natsu looks up and drops his jaw for a moment. "Could it be that?" He said as he points his finger up at the sky.

Everyone looks up and stares in awe when they noticed a small bright object flying across the sky. They slowly turn their heads as they watch the object descends to the ground below. A few moments later, they hear an explosion. Everyone yelp and cover their eyes as they could feel the strong winds caused by the explosion blowing through their hair and clothes.

When the wind died down, Nolan swiftly turns and points his finger at the direction where the object flew from earlier. "Come on! We got to pinpoint where that thing came from!" He said as Lucas picks up his lantern.

Darren, Alicia, Lucas, Tryo and Team Natsu nod to each other before they and Nolan run off.

As Sheena stood within the distance the whole time, she watches Darren, Alicia and Team Natsu running off together with her arms folded and a frown on her face. When Darren noticed that Sheena isn't with them, he stops and whirled about.

"Sheena? Are you coming with us?" He asked as he stares at her questioningly.

"Right, I'm coming!" Sheena replied before running after them.

* * *

Everyone soon reached the edge of a hill and they widen their eyes when they realize what is below them in the distance.

On a large grassy field were several rows of praetors, standing alongside together as they are armed with spears, swords and crossbows. Placed behind the praetors is a large and blocky silver tank that has a long, cylinder-shaped black cannon mounted at the upper section of the vehicle. There is also a smaller black turret installed on each side of the tank's upper section. The vehicle has no wheels and treads at the bottom but rather, it is levitating in the air by only a few inches above the ground.

"Get rid of our lights!" Nolan ordered Lucas and Tryo before making their lanterns disappear.

Lucas magically summons his binoculars with his other hand and uses it to take a closer look at the tank. He kneels down and activates the binoculars' night vision to see through the dark. He could see the hatch of the tank opening up. A praetor comes out from the tank, turns to his left and gave a thumbs-up. Lucas looked down to see who the praetor is signaling to and he noticed three figures standing beside the tank.

The first figure is a regular praetor holding up a lantern. The second figure is Velvet and the third is a blonde-haired man with blue eyes and dressed in a gray praetor uniform. Velvet and the man are each holding a pair of binoculars in their hand and they turn to each other. As the two begin speaking to each other, Lucas lowers his binoculars and turns to Nolan.

"I spotted two higher rank praetors standing beside that thing, sir. Looks like they are having a nice chat right now." Lucas said to his superior.

"If only we have someone to go over there and spy on them." Nolan said.

"Gate of Maiden, I open thee! Virgo!" Lucy chanted as she swings down one of her celestial keys. Virgo magically appears in front of them and Nolan, Lucas and Tryo stare at the Celestial spirit in awe.

Virgo kneels down on the ground on a single knee and bows before Lucy. "What is it, mistress?" She asked before looking up at her.

"I need you to go over there and stealthily listen to the two praetors who are standing beside that large vehicle." Lucy said, pointing her finger at Velvet and the man in the distance. Virgo turns around and glances at the two figures before abruptly drilling herself into the ground below her feet.

Virgo swiftly travels through underground as she makes her way over to the tank and the higher ranked praetors. When she dug herself out of the ground twenty seconds later, Virgo finds herself several meters behind the tank and the three praetors. With only her head popped out from the ground, Virgo attentively listened to the conversation between Velvet and the man.

"You can clearly see that not a single piece of grass was left on the ground when the rocket landed on its designated area. This shows that the spiral of fire it created upon its landing is so devastating, I guarantee that an entire village would turn into nothing more than a barren wasteland within seconds." The man explained to Velvet with a smug grin.

"True, Second Lieutenant Azrael. But now it's time for us to see how truly effective this vehicle is on people." Velvet said.

"Oh don't worry, Lieutenant. We'll find out soon enough when we commence our invasion of Hargeon. And with this vehicle that I de-" Azrael cuts himself off when Velvet gave him a scowl. The man chuckled nervously upon realizing his mistake. " _We_ …designed; I believe our invasion will only take five minutes or less to force the town's inhabitants to get down on their knees and surrender."

"And if our attack on Hargeon is successful," Velvet narrows her eyes as she clenches her fist. "Magnolia will be next."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank aquabluey for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**

Chapter revised on 26th June 2019


	11. Operation Halo, Part 2

_**Operation Halo, Part 2**_

Immediately after Virgo returns back to the others, she informs them about the praetors' plans to invade Hargeon and Magnolia. The mentioning of their hometown instantly shock Team Natsu.

"The Abbey is planning to destroy our headquarters so that with our guild out of the way, they can invade the rest of Fiore!" Wendy cried in horror.

Natsu snarls as he clenches his fists. He is instantly reminded of all of his friends residing in Magnolia and Fairy Tail headquarters, and the thought of them being attacked and captured by the hands of the Abbey enraged him. "We can't let that happen!" He said furiously as huge flames ignite around his fists.

"I say we get down there and deal with them right now." Tryo suggested to Nolan.

"Right." Nolan replied to his lieutenant before turning to Team Natsu. "Fairy Tail, let's go down there-"

"ABOVE US!" Sheena suddenly yelled in alarm as she looks up and draws out her papers.

Everyone yelp as they look up and see Velvet above them with her left arm in its demonic form. As she plummets through the air and head towards everyone, Velvet lets out a yell of fury as she pulls back her left demonic fist. Sheena throws three papers at her and swiftly made several finger gestures. The papers briefly illuminate before they explode into thick layers of smoke, blinding Velvet's vision and causing her to cough.

As Team Natsu, the Faction, Darren, Alicia and Sheena get out of the way, Velvet ended up rolling over as she lands on the ground. She growls as she got up and turned around.

"Fairy Tail, we meet again." Velvet said icily.

"How did you find us?" Natsu asked as he, Gray and Wendy quickly place themselves in front of Erza, Lucy, Virgo, Darren, Alicia and Sheena get into their fighting stances. Meanwhile, Erza magically dresses up into her Robe of Yuen and her sword transforms into a bisento.

"I could sense your friend spying on me and my second lieutenant, and I followed her here." Velvet replied.

"I'm so sorry, everyone." Virgo said regretfully.

"It's alright, Virgo." Lucy replied to her Celestial spirit with a wan smile as she places her hand on her shoulder.

"Guys! The Abbey and the tank are starting to move!" Happy cried as he and Carla watched the praetors and the tank beginning their journey to Hargeon from the edge of the cliff. Team Natsu, the Faction, Darren, Alicia and Sheena momentarily turn their heads to the advancing army and gasp in response.

"That's right. I've ordered them to commence the invasion right before I make my way here." Velvet said as her enemies turn back to her.

Nolan growls as Lucas asked his superior, "Captain, what do we do now?!"

"The people of Hargeon are in danger. We have to warn the mayor! Tell him to evacuate the townspeople!" Nolan yelled as he turned to Lucas.

"Happy, Carla, help Lucas get to Hargeon before the Abbey does." Erza ordered the exceeds.

"Aye!" Happy and Carla said in unison as they spread out their wings. They quickly fly up in the air and wrap their tails around Lucas' arms.

"Hang on!" Carla said to him. Lucas yelp as the exceeds lift him up in the air and fly their way to Hargeon.

Alicia gasps when she noticed something shining from the trees beside her and the others. She turns her head and throws her yo-yo at someone kneeling on the branch of a tree. She and the others could hear a grunt before a praetor, holding a bow and arrow in his hands, falls off from the branch and lands on the ground with a thud.

"Dammit!" Velvet yelled before looking up at Lucas and the exceeds who are still making their escape. She leaps into the air and tries to swing her demonic claw at Happy and Carla. But Natsu quickly jumps up, places himself between her and the exceeds and swings his flaming fist at Velvet's claw, blocking her attack. The two stayed in a stalemate as they push their fists against each other.

"You'll have to go through us first!" Natsu yelled at her. He lifts his leg up and successfully kicks Velvet at her midsection with his sandal.

As Velvet falls through the air, she did a backwards somersault and lands at the ground on her hands. She leaps herself up into the air once more before doing another backwards somersault and lands on her feet.

As Nolan and Tryo stood side by side, they hold out their hands and summon their weapons. Nolan magically summons his scimitars and swings them diagonally before getting into his battle stance. Tryo on the other hand summons a chained jade ball. She grabs the hilt of her weapon with her gloved hand and the chain with her other hand. She twirls the chain and ball continuously through the air as she gets into her fighting stance.

"I guess it doesn't matter. Even if your friends manage to warn the mayor in time, our weapon will still turn Hargeon and its people into nothing more than ashes. And soon after, we will produce more of them and finally invade the entire north of Fiore!" Velvet proclaimed.

Infuriated by her comments, Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Erza, Nolan and Tryo yell in fury as they charge towards Velvet. But after only taking a few steps, several arrows flew down from the treetops and head towards them.

"GUYS!" Alicia shouted as she runs up to the six from behind. She slides through the ground and passes through them. When she is in front of them, Alicia gets up into a kneeling position and swings her yo-yos around in huge circles and in incredible speed. The strong winds created from her yo-yos causes the arrows to scatter and drop across the ground.

After putting away their crossbows and draw out their swords, twelve praetors, with one of them being the squad leader, jump out from the branches of the trees where they were hiding and fall over to Team Natsu, the Faction, Virgo and Alicia. The praetors land in front of them and both sides clashed against each other.

As Darren and Sheena join the battle, two more praetors come out from behind two nearby trees and charge towards them with halberds.

One praetor thrust the tip of her halberd at Sheena, who quickly jumps out of the way. The other praetor swings his halberd horizontally at Darren, who blocks his attack with his katana and the two stayed in a stalemate as they push their weapons against each other, trying to overwhelm the other.

Erza manages to push back the praetor in front of her with all of her strength. She jumps in the air and delivers a horizontal kick across the praetor's head, sending him falling to the ground. As Erza lands back on the ground, another praetor runs up to her from behind. He swings his sword down at her but Erza dodges the strike by rolling to the side. As she gets up, she turns around and swings her bisento diagonally at the praetor, knocking the sword out of his hand. As the praetor holds up his hands and backs away, Erza proceeds to deliver an uppercut at the bottom of his chin, sending him stumbling backwards and collapsing onto the ground unconsciousness.

"FAIRY TAIL!" Velvet bellowed as she charges up to Erza. Erza swiftly turns around and holds up her bisento in time to block Velvet's claw. Velvet proceeds to deliver a series of diagonal and vertical strikes with her demonic claw which Erza manages to block them all with her bisento.

Velvet yells again as she delivers an overhead strike at Erza with her claw. Erza holds up her bisento to block her claw and Velvet grabs onto her weapon. The two stayed at a stalemate and stare into each other's eyes as Velvet struggles to use all of her strength to pull the bisento out of Erza's grip while the other held firmly onto her weapon.

"Tell me! Why do you despise us so much?!" Erza inquired.

"Isn't it obvious?! You Fairy Tail scumbags slaughtered everyone in my village, including my beloved brother!" Velvet howled.

"What?! When?!" Erza asked in alarm and confusion as her eyes widened in horror.

"On the Scarlet Night!" Velvet replied.

"The Scarlet Night? What is that?" Erza asked, sounding more puzzled than before as she frowns.

"How dare you insult me and everyone I knew further by playing dumb?! I'll make you and everyone in your guild pay!" Velvet roared.

In the end, Velvet manages to pull the bisento out of Erza's hands. As Erza stumbles backward, Velvet takes the opportunity to deliver a massive kick to her chest, sending her sprawling through the ground.

Afterwards, Tryo throws her jade ball at Velvet. Velvet tosses Erza's bisento aside and quickly catches Tryo's ball with her claw. Velvet swings her demonic arm up, sending Tryo flying into the air while still clinging onto the hilt. She swings her arm back down, causing Tryo to finally lose her grip on the hilt of her weapon. Fortunately for Tryo, Natsu leaps into the air and catches her in his arms. After Natsu lands on the ground safely with Tryo, Velvet turns to the dragon slayer and throws the jade ball at his back.

Nolan quickly runs over and places himself between Velvet and Natsu. He swings his scimitars to deflect the ball and sends it to the side as Natsu turns around and places Tryo down. Nolan swiftly charges up to Velvet and swings his scimitars diagonally at her which she blocks them with her claw.

Meanwhile, the praetor continuously thrusts his halberd at Darren, who dodges them by moving side to side. The praetor eventually delivers a diagonal swing of his halberd, aiming for the side of Darren's head. Darren swings his katana diagonally as well to deflect the halberd. As the praetor stumbles back by the impact of the blow, Darren proceeds to run up to the praetor and hits his abdomen with the bottom of the hilt of his katana.

As the praetor bends over and gasps, Darren brings up his leg and hits the bottom of his chin with his kneepad. As the praetor stood up, Darren finishes the fight by swinging his left fist across the side of the helmet, sending him falling to the ground and dropping his halberd. Darren quickly kicks the halberd aside and aims the tip of his katana at the fallen praetor's face, causing him to tremble in horror.

Darren gazes at the fallen opponent for a few moments and despite wearing a helmet, he could see the fear dwelling within the praetor as he looks up at him. Darren turns his head away and lowers his katana. The praetor takes the opportunity to turn around, get up and flee for his life.

Afterwards, Darren looks up and sees a praetor sent flying through the air and slamming against the trunk of a nearby tree. As the defeated praetor slumps to the ground, Darren turns his head to see Sheena lowering her leg.

"Come on! Let's help the others!" Sheena yelled at Darren. Darren nods his head and the two run over to Team Natsu and Alicia.

Gray swings his ice sword horizontally and sends two praetors flying through the air as his weapon clash against their swords.

Natsu took out two other praetors with his Fire Dragon's Claw attack. One praetor runs up to Natsu from behind and swings his sword vertically downwards at him. Natsu quickly moves to the side and grabs the praetor by his helmet. He runs up to the nearest tree and slams the praetor's face right into the trunk.

As the leader of this squad of praetors swings his sword horizontally at her, Wendy jumps back and up into the air to the dodge the attack. As she falls, she unleashes her Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang down at the squad leader. The squad leader holds up his sword to block Wendy's attack but the blow manages to send him sliding back.

As Wendy lands back on the ground, another praetor stood behind her and fires an arrow at her back with his crossbow. Darren swiftly places himself between Wendy and the praetor and deflects the arrow with his katana. Sheena runs over to the praetor who tried to reload his crossbow. Before he could place an arrow on his crossbow, Sheena reaches him and grabs his right wrist. She gave his arm a twist, causing him to yell in pain and drop his weapon. Sheena uses her left hand to jab the right side of the praetor's neck, causing him to lose consciousness. She releases his wrist and lets the praetor collapse onto the ground.

Meanwhile, Darren and the squad leader clash their swords against each other and stayed in a stalemate for a brief moment. The squad leader manages to push Darren back and swings his sword horizontally at him. Darren ducks down to dodge the attack and slides his leg across the ground as he turns around, sweeping the squad leader off from the ground. As the squad leader falls onto his back, Wendy jumps into the air from behind Darren and did a somersault.

"Sky Dragon's Claw!" She yelled as she swings her leg down and fires a large gust of wind at the squad leader. The squad leader howled as he gets hit by her attack and his head slumps to the side as he passes out. After Wendy lands back on the ground, she and Darren turn to each other and smile.

Alicia kneels down and swings her yo-yos at two praetors, with its strings wrapped around their legs. She gave her yo-yos a yank, causing the praetors to fall onto the ground and drop their swords. Virgo quickly swings her chains at the fallen praetors and knocks them out unconscious as they collide against the front of their helmets. Meanwhile, Lucy wraps her whip around another praetor and pulls her over.

"Virgo, Alicia!" Lucy cried as she moves to the side and releases the praetor as she stumbles over to Virgo and Alicia. Virgo swings one of her chains at the praetor and it knocks against the front of her helmet. As the praetor stumbles back, Alicia runs up to her and delivers a flying kick to her chest. The praetor backs away from Alicia and when Lucy runs up to her from behind, she swings her fist at her back, knocking her to the ground.

"Nice work, Lucy!" Alicia smiled as she walks over to Lucy while holding up her hand. She expected a high-five from her friend. But instead, Lucy grabs her right hand and groans in pain as she felt the pain surging through it which she received after delivering the punch.

"Ow! That hurts." Lucy said. Alicia sighs as she lowers her hand.

Meanwhile, Erza delivers a few diagonal swings with her bisento at Velvet, who evades them by moving side to side. Erza then swings her bisento horizontally at her and Velvet dodges the attack by ducking down. She swiftly draws out her blade from her right gauntlet, delivers a horizontal swing and successfully slashes across the midsection of Erza's robe. Erza cringed as she backs away.

Velvet turns her head to the left and sees Nolan running up to her. As he swings his left scimitar at her, Velvet quickly gets up, turns to Nolan and blocks his sword with her claw. She proceeds to swing her blade at Nolan, who blocks it with his other scimitar.

Erza runs up to Velvet again and tries to swing her bisento at her. But Velvet quickly deflects Nolan's scimitars, jumps in the air and performs somersault over Erza. Erza turns around as Velvet lands back on the ground.

Velvet sprung up from the ground and charges at Erza, but Alicia swings her yo-yos at her from behind. The strings wrap around her body and Velvet groans as Alicia yanks back her yo-yos, stopping her charge. Alicia growls as she uses all of her strength to pull Velvet back, but the praetor snarls as she manages to take a few steps forward and slowly drags the blonde-haired girl with her.

"NOW!" Alicia yelled as she turns her head around. Natsu and Wendy run up to her sides and enlarge their cheeks as they throw their heads back.

"FIRE/SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu and Wendy yelled in unison before firing huge blasts of fire and wind out of their mouths at Velvet as they bend forward. Erza and Nolan quickly got out of the way.

Velvet yells angrily as she successfully bends over, causing the strings around her body to snap and Alicia falls to the ground as she releases her yo-yos. Shortly after setting herself free, Velvet turns around and holds her demonic claw in front of her face to block the combined blast from Natsu and Wendy. When the blast dies down, Velvet lowers her claw.

"You seriously think a blast like that will-" Velvet is soon interrupted by Gray's yell as he slams his hands on the ground.

"ICE-MAKE: PRISON!"

Velvet gasped as a huge light blue circle forms beneath her feet. She turns to her right and tries to run off but Erza quickly goes over and stood in front of her. She swings the other end of her bisento diagonally at her, successfully hitting the bottom of Velvet's chin and sending her stumbling back into the center of the circle as a rectangular-shaped cage made of ice began forming around and over her.

After the cage is formed, Velvet screams as she runs over to the bars and swings her claw at them. But the impact of her attack sends her stumbling backwards instead and the bars of the cage remain intact. Velvet growled as everyone approach and surrounds her newly formed makeshift prison.

As Velvet looks up at Erza, who stares boldly at her, she runs up to her and snarls at her face as she stood behind the bars and wraps her claw and hand around them.

"What are you going to do now? Execute me? Just like what you did to my brother Laphicet?!" Velvet asked, raising her voice as she mentions her brother's name.

"No, we won't." Erza shook her head. "Instead, we want to know what this Scarlet Night you were talking about is."

"And who is leading the Abbey? Why are you helping them? And what is the Abbey trying to accomplish in conquering all of Fiore?" Nolan inquired as he and Tryo walk over and stood beside Erza.

"We want answers!" Tryo added.

"You should know damn well what the Scarlet Night is, Fairy Tail! You were the guys who conducted it!" Velvet roared at Erza.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy cried as she and the other members of Team Natsu look back at her dumbfounded. "We don't even know such an incident happened!"

"Liars!" Velvet snapped at Lucy with her eyes wide and shaking. "How dare you mock the people you slaughtered by denying what you did?! General Dreyar is right! Every member of Fairy Tail are monsters!"

Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lucy and Wendy gasp upon hearing the name of Velvet's superior.

"Did he say Dreyar?!" Gray cried incredulously.

"As in the same last name as Makarov and Laxus?" Wendy said in shock.

"No! It can't be Gramps or Laxus! That's impossible!" Natsu yelled as he stomps his foot and holds up his fist.

"Unless…" Erza narrows her eyes for a moment before a past memory came flooding back inside her head.

She remembered the Grand Magic Games which her guild participated 2 years ago. She vividly remembers Laxus walking his way out of the arena after winning his fight for their guild while his opponent, a man dressed in gold armor and a black fur cape, and has black hair and beard, smiling back at his _son_ evilly as he sat against the wall in defeat.

Erza's eyes widened when she finally realized whom Velvet is referring to.

"Could it be Ivan Dreyar?!" Erza cried. The members of Team Natsu gasped.

"Ivan?! Laxus's shitty father and the leader of Raven Tail?!" Natsu yelled in shock.

"The one Laxus fought with at the Grand Magic Games?" Lucy asked.

"He has returned." Wendy uttered.

"How?!" Velvet yelled at Erza. "How do you know the first name of our general?!"

"So I was right." Erza said before she calmly approaches her and the cage. "Velvet, listen to me. I think you have been lied to."

"Shut up!" Velvet shouted back as she slams her demonic fist against the bar. "I will not fall for your deception!"

"Velvet, please!" Erza tries to reason with her. "You have to trust-"

Suddenly, Sheena gasped when she felt a strange presence among them. She turns her right and immediately spots a praetor kneeling on a branch of a nearby tree, armed with oversized iron gauntlets. As soon as the praetor leaps off from the branch and head towards them, Sheena shouted in horror, "LOOK OUT!"

Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Darren, Alicia and Virgo turn to their right and gasped as the praetor yells and pulls his right fist back. A huge orb of orange energy formed at the knuckles of his right gauntlet, preparing to deliver a powerful attack upon them.

Tryo swiftly swings her jade ball horizontally at the praetor and successfully hits him at his midsection. The praetor yells in agony as the ball sends him to side of Velvet's makeshift prison instead. It was then the orb of energy detonates, creating a powerful explosion that breaks the side of the cage. The ground trembles as Velvet's makeshift prison begins to break and crumble.

"Get back!" Nolan shouted as everyone turn around and run away from the collapsing cage.

Velvet could only look up in shock as the top of her makeshift prison falls upon her. Huge thick clouds of icy breeze were formed by the collapse. Everyone throw themselves onto the ground and place their hands on the back of their hands as the thick breeze blows through them.

When the breeze is cleared a few moments later, everyone gets up and Erza asked, "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, we're good." Darren replied. Natsu groans and rubs the back of his head as he, Darren and everyone else get up to their feet.

"Guys! Look!" Lucy cried as she stares back at the icy cage that is now in ruins. Everyone look at the debris and notice the unconscious praetor lying on top of them.

"Where's Velvet?" Nolan asked.

After Natsu carries the praetor out of the way, Gray holds up his hand and the icy debris magically disappear. But Velvet was nowhere in sight.

"Dammit. She must have gotten away after the collapse." Erza said frowning.

"And it looks like she didn't leave behind any tracks too." Nolan said as he observes the ground.

"This is my fault." Tryo lowers her head in shame. "I was the one who destroyed the cage and let our prisoner escape."

Erza places her hand on Tryo's shoulder and said to her, "Don't apologize. At least you saved my friends from an attack we never expected. You have my thanks for that."

Alicia picks up the shells of her yo-yos from the ground. Darren walks over to her from behind and said apologetically, "I'm sorry about your yo-yos."

"Nah, it's okay." Alicia smiled as she shrugged. Darren watches her as Alicia opens her pouch bag and takes out a roll of thread to replace the strings that had been snapped. "This is why you should always keep spare objects in your pouch."

"Huh." Darren simply said. "That's good."

"What are we going to do now?" Wendy asked everyone.

"I guess there's nothing else we can do here, but to return to Hargeon." Gray said.

"Right!" Natsu narrows his eyes while still carrying the unconscious praetor in his arms. "We have to stop the invasion!"

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey for reviewing, Riawicza for favoriting and following and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	12. Operation Halo, Part 3

_**Operation Halo, Part 3**_

After the army of praetors position themselves a hundred miles away from the boundaries of Hargeon, Muruta Azrael comes out from the hatch of the tank and places his binoculars in front of his eyes. He took a closer look at the town's train station and noticed the civilians panicking as they desperately try to get inside the train while carrying their bags and luggage.

"So the civilians are trying to escape, huh?" Azrael chuckled as he lowers his binoculars. "No matter. This pitiful town will not be able to evacuate every single one of them before we launch our attack." A smug grin appears on his face as he places his hand on his chest. "And once this pathetic town falls, I will surely be promoted!" Azrael lowers himself back inside the tank and orders the driver and operator. "Aim for the center of the town!"

They obeyed and the operator slowly turns the top section of the tank. He keeps adjusting until the operator spots the town hall building through its scope. In front of the building is the town square where several civilians are still hurriedly making their way to the train station. After the tank's top section came to a halt, the operator raises the main cannon and aims at the building.

"Fire!" Azrael ordered with an evil grin. The tank launches a rocket into the air and Azrael and the praetors watch it fly towards the town hall.

Back in Hargeon, the townspeople who are still in the town square look up and scream in horror when they see the rocket flying through the air and making its way towards their position. They all panicked as they frantically run and try to get out of the line of fire in an uncontrollable stampede.

A woman stops running and turns around when she realized she isn't holding onto her child's hand. She looks up and widens her eyes in horror when she spots her son standing in the distance.

"Come on! We have to go!" The woman cried to the boy as she runs over to him.

"But mom! Who's that?" The boy asked his mother as he stood where he is and points his finger at a certain purple-haired woman standing in the distance with her spear in her hand.

The boy and his mother watch as Judith holds up the spear in front of her face and chanted with her eyes closed, "You, who would afflict me…" Her eyes snapped open as she turns to the side, holds her spear up with one hand and aims its tip at the incoming rocket. "To the realm of the dead!" Some of the townspeople stop and stare at Judith in awe as her spear illuminates in bright cerulean light. "In a moonlit casket!" The spear now magically enlarges twice its original size. "DRAGON'S MOON SPEAR!"

As she throws herself forward, Judith hurls her spear into the air and it flies towards the rocket. The spear pierces through the rocket and it explodes in air. The townspeople gaze at the explosion in awe.

Back at the outskirts of town, Azrael drops his jaw in shock when he sees that the rocket has been intercepted.

"W-w-what happened?!" Azrael cried. "How does this small town have any sort of defense? Could it be the Rune Knights?!"

Azrael picks up his binoculars and looks at the town square. He spotted Judith who catches her spear as it flies back to her. He also sees Lucas, Yuri, Estelle and Karol walking over to her side. He snarls as he lowers his binoculars. "Who are these jerks who dare interfere our invasion?!" He looks down at the praetors in front of him and commanded them, "Wave 1! Charge towards the town and wipe out everyone in your path!"

The first three front rows of praetors immediately obliged. The spearmen which make up the most upfront horizontal row lower their spears. The other two rows behind them which are made up of swordsmen draw out their swords from their scabbards.

"Attack!" Azrael ordered them as he points his finger at the town. The praetors let out their battle cry as they charge towards Hargeon.

"Keep moving everyone! They're still on their way!" Lucas yelled at the townspeople who are still standing around the town square.

As everyone turn and continue making their way to the train station, Yuri and Brave Vesperia get into their battle stances while Lucas holds up his hand and magically summons a double-bladed sword.

"Here they come." Karol said as he clings onto the hilt of his hammer.

"Your legs are shaking." Yuri commented as he holds up his sword in front of him.

"You're kidding." Karol replied with his voice trembling with fear.

"I am." Yuri deadpanned.

"Move out!" Lucas yelled before he, Yuri and Brave Vesperia charge towards the army of praetors. The five ran out of the boundaries of the town and they soon clash against the praetors.

Lucas turns around and swings his double-bladed sword horizontally, successfully knocking back four spearmen.

A spearman delivers several thrusts at Judith with his spear. Judith swiftly blocks all of his attacks with her spear before jumping in the air and did a twirling kick across the spearman's face.

Karol swings his hammer horizontally and manages to hit a swordsman by the side of his torso. As the swordsman falls to the ground, another praetor runs up to Karol and swings his sword horizontally at him. Karol squeals as he shuts his eyes. But a second later, he opens his eyes again and realizes that the praetor has dropped his sword and is now screaming in pain. Karol looks down and sees that his hammer has landed on his foot. He removes his weapon and the swordsman turns around and hops away as he clenches onto his injured foot in pain. As Judith kicks another praetor in her midsection, she is sent flying across the air and collides against the hopping praetor.

Karol grins as he points his fingers at the fallen praetors and proclaims, "That's what happens when you mess with the leader of Brave Vesperia!"

A spearman thrusts her spear at Estelle, who blocks it with her shield. Estelle swings her golden rod down at the spear and knocks it out from the spearman's hands. She thrusts her rod at the spearman's midsection and the praetor gasps as she bends over. Estelle finishes it off by swinging her rod vertically and hitting the back of the praetor's head, knocking her to the ground.

After kicking a spearman down to the ground, Yuri turns to Estelle and commented, "You're pretty good at fighting."

"Thanks. I did have a private instructor back in my office." Estelle responded. "Even a politician needs to learn self-defense, right?"

Yuri turns back to his front as a swordsman runs over to him. The swordsman delivers an overhead strike and Yuri quickly blocks his attack by holding up his sword. Yuri quickly removes one hand from the hilt of his sword and delivers a punch to the swordsman's midsection. As the swordsman backs away, Yuri swings his sword horizontally and upwards, firing two energy blasts at him. He finishes it off by thrusting his left palm forward and fires another powerful energy blast. "FRIGID BLAST!"

The final blast sends the praetor sprawling through the ground and colliding against another swordsman in the process.

Azrael watches in shock and horror as Lucas, Yuri, Judith, Estelle and Karol finished knocking down the entire first wave of praetors and they all lie down on field unconscious. Azrael grits his teeth and slams his fist on the tank.

"Stupid men!" Azrael yells in frustration before barking at the second and third waves of his army. "Waves 2 and 3, take them down!"

The praetors in the upfront row of the second wave kneel down and aim their crossbows at the five. When they fire their arrows at them, Lucas and Yuri quickly place themselves in front of Estelle, Judith and Karol.

When the arrows are near them, Lucas and Yuri swiftly swing their swords around to deflect them. After realizing that they have failed to shoot a single arrow at the five, the praetors put away their crossbows and stood up. Every praetor in the second and third wave draws out their swords and charges towards the five.

Two praetors run over to Lucas. The praetor on the left tries to swing his sword diagonally at him. Lucas holds up his sword to block his attack with the right blade of his sword. The praetor on the right delivers an overhead strike at him but Lucas tilts his weapon and blocks his sword with its left blade. The two praetors back away as Lucas twirls around in a circle while swinging his double-bladed sword horizontally. He lifts up his leg and successfully kicks the left praetor at the midsection, sending him falling to the ground.

The praetor on the right swings his sword diagonally at him but Lucas quickly blocks his attack with the left blade of his weapon. He swings his double-bladed sword diagonally at the praetor who quickly blocks the right blade with his sword. Lucas then takes the opportunity to hit the praetor in the face with the hilt of his weapon. As the praetor stumbles back, Lucas performs a backwards somersault and delivers a powerful kick at the bottom of his chin, causing him to fall onto the ground on his back with a thud.

As several praetors run past Lucas and Yuri, some of them clash their swords against Estelle, Judith and Karol while the others make their way to the town.

Judith thrusts her spear at one of the swordsman. He blocks her spear but the impact sends him sprawling through the ground. As he slides over to Yuri, he quickly brings his foot down on his face.

Estelle swings her rod across a praetor's face, sending him rolling over the ground. One praetor runs up to her and thrusts his sword at her. Estelle turns to him and swings her shield horizontally, deflecting the sword and knocking it out of his hand. She then swings her rod diagonally at his legs, sweeping him off from his feet. As the praetor lands on the ground, Estelle delivers an overhead strike on his face with her rod, knocking him out.

Meanwhile, Yuri swings his sword horizontally at a praetor and manages to knock his sword out of his hand. Afterwards, he swings his left fist into his abdomen, causing him to bend over. Yuri moves to the side and takes him down by knocking the back of his helmet with the bottom of the hilt of his sword.

One praetor manages to run up to Yuri and swings her sword diagonally at his back. Yuri yells in pain as the praetor slashes him.

"Yuri!" Estelle cried as she turns to him. As Estelle runs over to him, Yuri turns around to the praetor and knocks her across her face with the hilt of his sword, sending her falling to the ground. Yuri cringes as he bends over in pain.

"Hold still." Estelle said softly to him as she examines the slash on his back. She holds up her hand and magically heals his wound. A few seconds later, Yuri stood up when he could no longer feel the pain on his back.

Yuri turns around and smiles at Estelle. "Thanks." He said. Estelle nods her head in response before the two turn and clash their weapons against two sword-wielding praetors who run up to them.

After knocking down another praetor, Judith tries to catch her breath as she bends over in exhaustion. "There's too many of them." She said to Karol wearily.

Karol swings his hammer at the head of another praetor, knocking him out unconscious. As the praetor slumps to the ground, Karol turns around and watch helplessly as the praetors who run past them are nearing the town.

"These guys are about to reach town!" Karol cried in horror. "How are we going to catch up with them?!"

"Kill anyone who gets in your way!" A squad leader said to the other praetors as they are about to reach the boundaries of Hargeon. But as soon as they set foot into the town, they didn't expect a muscular black-haired man jumping off from the top of a small apartment building and landing right in front of them while holding a large cannon made of ice in his hand.

As he gets up, Gray aims his ice cannon at the praetors and shouted, "ICE CANNON!" He fires an ice cannonball from his weapon and the praetors cry in horror as it comes flying towards them.

When the breeze is cleared, Judith and Karol smile in relief as they could see Gray standing in the distance and smirking at them while the praetors lie on the ground motionless. A moment later, Happy and Carla flew past him while carrying Lucy and Virgo with their tails.

"The cavalry has arrived!" Happy proclaimed as he and Carla fly towards the ongoing battle at the outskirts of town.

"What the?!" Azrael cried incredulously as he sees his new enemies entering the battlefield. As some praetors stop and look up at the exceeds, Happy and Carla release Lucy and Virgo and the two girls plummet down towards them.

"Lucy!" Yuri and Estelle both said in delight as they look up at them.

"Are you ready, Virgo?" Lucy asked her Celestial spirit.

"Hai." Virgo simply replied. The two girls each aim a leg at a praetor while Yuri and Estelle watch them in curiosity.

"Lucy…" Lucy said.

"Virgo…" Virgo said. Yuri and Estelle widen their eyes with their mouths agape.

"KICK!" Lucy and Virgo both shouted when they both deliver a massive kick into the praetor's face. Yuri and Estelle silently watch Lucy and Virgo landing on the ground with scowls on their faces.

"Did they really call their attack…that?" Estelle murmured.

"How underwhelming." Yuri muttered. Lucy draws out her whip as she and Virgo look up at the praetors. The two girls yell as they charge towards them.

"Hey Happy ol' buddy!" Natsu shouted to the blue exceed in the air as he runs over to him while carrying the unconscious praetor over his shoulder. The gauntlets have since been removed from the praetor's hands, leaving only his brown gloves.

"Natsu!" Happy squealed happily as he sees his friend. He lowers down to his level as Natsu gets the unconscious praetor off of his shoulder.

"Here. Take this guy to safety for me, will ya?" Natsu asked, handing the praetor over to Happy.

"Aye!" Happy obliged as he wraps his tail around the praetor and flies away to safety. Natsu turns around and sees several praetors running over and surrounding him.

"So you guys want it the hard way, eh? Fine by me!" Natsu grins as he produces large streams of fires on his arms. He yells as he swings both arms horizontally and stomps his foot on the ground as he bends forward. "FIRE DRAGON'S WING ATTACK!"

The streams of fire on his arms fly towards the surrounding praetors like a ring of fire and send them flying into the air.

After knocking down another praetor, Lucas turns around and sees Nolan and Tryo running over to him.

"Boy, am I glad to see you guys!" Lucas cried happily.

"Good to know that you miss us." Tryo replied as she and Nolan stop beside him. The three soldiers turn to three praetors who are running over to them with their halberds.

"Come on guys. Let's take them down." Nolan ordered his friends.

"Right!" Lucas and Tryo responded in unison before the three soldiers charge towards them. Nolan swings his swords at the nearest praetor, knocking the halberd out of his hands. As the praetor backs away in fear, Nolan runs up to him and swings his leg across his face, knocking him down.

Two praetors swing their halberds down at Lucas who blocks them with both blades of his swords. As Lucas pushes them back, Tryo goes over to his side and swings her chained ball horizontally at the praetors, knocking both of them down.

"SKY DRAGON'S WAVE WIND!" Wendy shouted as she runs past five praetors and swings her hand horizontally. A huge tornado forms behind her, sending the five praetors flying helplessly into the air.

Erza, now dressed in her Morning Star Armor and armed with two one-handed swords, see three praetors running up to her. She brings her swords together lengthwise and aims the tips at the advancing praetors.

"MORNING STAR: PHOTON SLICER!" Erza yelled as an orb of energy formed at the tips of her swords. She fires a powerful energy blast at the praetors and it sends them flying into the air.

Sheena throws a piece of paper into the air and made several finger gestures. Several pieces of paper magically appear above the praetors and they illuminate in bright purple light. The papers exploded above them and the praetors yell in agony.

Azrael watches the ongoing battle with his jaw hanging in horror. He couldn't believe that his entire army of praetors is being defeated by the members of Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia, as well as their allies.

After Natsu punches a praetor down, he looks at Azrael still standing there above the tank and gave him a cold glare. The second lieutenant squeals in terror as he quickly turns and gets out of the tank.

"I'm defenseless! Get me out of here!" Azrael shouted before jumping down from the top of the tank. After landing on the ground, Azrael tries to flee for his life. But he fails to notice two yo-yos flying over to his legs. As the strings wrap around them, Alicia pulls back her yo-yos, causing Azrael to cry as he falls onto the ground on his face. The second lieutenant moans in despair as he laid there. "There goes my promotion…"

Meanwhile, Natsu climbs onto the top of the tank. The operator comes out from the tank and holds up his hands as Natsu approaches him. Natsu momentarily grins at him before grabbing his head and knocks him against the side of the opening. The praetor passes out and Natsu throws him out of the tank. The Fire Dragon Slayer then goes inside the vehicle to deliver a great beating upon the driver.

As a praetor runs up to Darren, he swings his katana horizontally at him, knocking the sword out of his hand. He delivers an uppercut to the bottom of his chin, sending him stumbling backwards before falling onto the ground unconscious. Another praetor swings his halberd down at him but Darren moves to the side and swings his leg at his midsection. His kick sends the praetor stumbling backwards for a moment before Darren grabs his head and brings it down. He lifts his leg up and the praetor's face collided against his kneepad. As Darren releases the hand, the praetor falls onto the ground. Karol quickly runs over to him and brings his hammer down on his face to knock him out. The boy looks up at Darren and the two smile at each other.

"We did it! We took them all down!" Erza yelled after all the praetors have been defeated and are now lying around the field motionless.

Everybody who is still standing celebrate their victory against the Abbey. Gray, Happy and Carla cheer as they pump their fists into the air. Lucas grins as he wraps his arms around Nolan and Tryo, who both smile back at him. Judith and Wendy shook hands as they smile at each other.

"A sign of victory!" Yuri proclaimed as he holds up his hand in front of Estelle. Estelle stares at his hand questioningly for a moment before placing her fingertip on it. Yuri laughed in response.

"Great work, Virgo." Lucy said to her Celestial Spirit as she holds up her key.

"Thank you, Lucy-sama." Virgo replied as she bows down to her mistress. Lucy uses her key to dematerialize Virgo and sends her back to the Celestial Spirit World.

"I guess we can consider this another victory for Fairy Tail, eh?" Natsu asked Lucy as he walks over to her.

"Yup. Indeed." Lucy smiles at her friend as she places her hands behind her back.

"Alright! So let's celebrate by having something to eat! I've realized that we haven't eaten anything since coming to Hargeon!" Natsu exclaimed with a huge grin on his face.

Lucy lets out a heavy sigh. "Why do you always think about food, Natsu?"

"Hmm, you two like each other." Darren commented as he and Karol watch the two friends while standing nearby.

"Huh?!" Natsu and Lucy cried incredulously as they turn their heads to Darren and Karol.

"Yeah, I mean how calm and relaxed these two sound whenever they talk to each other, isn't it obvious?" Karol said to Darren as he shrugs his shoulders.

"W-What are you two talking about?!" Lucy cried.

Sheena looks around and observes everyone cheering and interacting with each other as they celebrate their victory against the Abbey. She sighs as she lowers her head, wondering why despite feeling glad that they have won the battle, she still felt a huge sense of emptiness inside her.

"Sheena!"

Sheena lifts her head up and turns to Alicia who walks over to her while pulling and dragging Azrael through the ground with her yo-yos. Alicia gave a warm smile to Sheena before extending her free hand out to her. "You really helped us a lot tonight. Thank you."

Sheena stares wordlessly at Alicia for a moment before grabbing her hand and giving her a wan smile. "You're welcome." She replied softly as they shook hands.

* * *

Life and peace have returned back to Hargeon by morning. The streets are once again filled with people walking around and attending to their daily duties.

Just outside the boundaries of the town, a Magic Council ship is parked on the field and has come to pick up Azrael and several captured praetors which the Faction round up from the aftermath of last night's battle. Nolan, Lucas, Tryo and three Rune Knights stood in a horizontal row as they watch the prisoners walk up the ramp and enter the ship with their wrists and ankles cuffed.

Meanwhile, Darren, Yuri, Sheena, Brave Vesperia and Team Natsu are standing nearby with the mayor of Hargeon.

"Thank you very much, Fairy Tail, for saving our beloved town from the Abbey. I knew we can count on you." The mayor said to the members of Team Natsu with a warm smile on his face.

"No problem, Mr. Mayor. But we honestly couldn't have done it without the help of Brave Vesperia and our other allies." Erza said, gesturing to Darren, Yuri, Sheena and Brave Vesperia who all stood behind them and smile at the mayor. Karol grins as he places his fists at the sides of his hip and stand proudly.

"You all have my thanks as well." The mayor turns and bows to them with gratitude. "Now then, I must return to my duties. Take care, everyone."

As the mayor turns around and leaves, Alicia turns to Darren and noticed that his cheeks are red. "You're blushing, aren't you?" She asked.

"Huh?" Darren turns his head to her. He chuckled sheepishly as he scratches the side of his head. "Yeah well…I never had someone thanking me for helping them in a bad situation in a long while."

"Well, you sure deserve it." Alicia said, grinning at Darren.

"Where are we heading, Jude?"

Darren, Yuri, Sheena, Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia turn around and see two unmasked praetors talking to each other as they approach the ramp. One of them is a girl with green eyes and short brown hair, covered by a white headband, while the other is a boy with amber eyes and neck-length black hair.

Darren, Alicia, Sheena and Team Natsu widen their eyes when they realize the black-haired boy is wearing a pair of light brown gloves. They instantly recognize him as the praetor who tried to attack them with the pair of oversized gauntlets.

"It's him." Natsu murmured.

"And that girl's voice. I recognize her." Estelle said, remembering the spearman whom she knocked out with her rod the other night.

"I don't know, Leia. And I have no idea what are they going to do to us." Jude replied to the girl.

"Hey! Stop talking, you two, and keep moving!" one of the Rune Knights yelled at them.

"But, sir! You don't understand! We have no idea what's going on!" Leia cried to the knight as she and Jude stop and turn to him.

"We don't even know why we are dressed up like this!" Jude added.

"I said keep-" The knight gets interrupted when Tryo places her hand in front of his chest. The knight turns to her and fell silent when she notices the glare on her face.

Tryo turns her head to Jude and Leia and questioned, "What do you mean you two have no idea what is going on?"

"Well…" Jude frowns at her. "The last thing I remembered is that I was at home, studying medicine so that one day, I can take over my family's clinic."

"And I was at the bakery helping out my own family." Leia said. "And then…an army of knights dressed in white invaded our hometown…and while we were fleeing…I saw one of them knocked Jude out. I tried to escape but I was found by another knight…and he knocked me out too."

"And now when we woke up, we don't know why we find ourselves wearing the same uniforms as the knights who invaded our town. And I have no idea why we are being taken away just like the rest of them!" Jude yelled as he turns to the other praetors who have been standing behind him and staring back at them in confusion.

"What are your names?" Nolan inquired.

"Leia Rolando." Leia responded as she and Jude turn to him.

"Jude Mathis." Jude replied.

"What is your hometown?" Lucas asked.

"Leronde." Jude said. His response was met with shock and confusion from Darren, Yuri, Sheena and the members of the Faction, Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia.

"That's one of the towns in the southern region that had been captured by the Abbey!" Karol said.

"What does this mean?" Wendy said.

"That the Abbey is using townspeople from the places they've conquered to serve in their army?" Lucy implied.

"But then, why are these two completely clueless that they have ever fought alongside the Abbey?" Alicia asked.

Darren narrows his eyes as he contemplates what Lucy and Alicia had said. "Something is definitely wrong here." He murmured.

After regaining his composure, Nolan said to Jude and Leia firmly, "We can continue this discussion when we arrive at Era. Now keep moving."

Jude and Leia momentarily look at each other before they obliged and continue walking their way into the ship. After all the praetors have walked up the ramp, the three Rune Knights follow them from behind while Nolan, Lucas and Tryo walk over to Team Natsu and the others.

"You guys all fought valiantly last night. We owe you our thanks." Nolan said to them.

"And I owe you all an apology too, Team Natsu." Tryo said.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Natsu replied to her with a smirk as he folds his arms.

"Lucas told me how well you fought against the praetors last night, Yuri. I'm proud of you. Ever want to return back to HQ with us?" Nolan asked Yuri, gesturing him to the ship.

"Well…" Yuri glances at Darren, Sheena, Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia before looking back at Nolan. "I think I'll stay with these guys a little longer. These people do need my help after all."

"Very well. But if you ever think of coming back to the Rune Knights, the doors are always open for you." Nolan said smiling. Yuri chuckled before Nolan gave a pat on his shoulder.

"So what are you guys going to do now from here on out?" Lucas inquired.

"We're going to continue our journey to Mizuho." Natsu replied.

"Because we're hoping that the people over there would aid us in our battle against the Abbey." Darren added.

Lucy gasped as an idea hatches inside her head. "I know! Perhaps you guys can allow us to ride on your ship and give us a lift to Mizuho!" She said to the Faction with a huge grin on her face as she clasps her hands together. Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Darren and Sheena all smile and nod their heads frantically as they unanimously favor Lucy's idea. But Erza steps forward and holds up her hand in front of Lucy's face.

"As much as we want to, I think it's best if we continue travelling on foot." Erza said.

"Huh?!" Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Darren and Sheena cried incredulously.

"Because we don't want to attract the Abbey's attention as much as possible during our journey." Erza explained to her teammates.

"Not to mention, most of the Southern region is still under the Abbey's occupation, and driving our ship to the southwest would make us an easy target for them. So I'm afraid it's best if you follow your leader's advice, Fairy Tail." Nolan said.

"After what happened to us when we left Underwood, I have to agree with Erza." Yuri said. Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Darren and Sheena sigh heavily in response.

"Oh come on, you lazy bums! Walking on foot during a journey is fun! We'll be able to see all sorts of animals and plant life up close that way!" Alicia said to them encouragingly.

"Easy for you to say." Darren muttered.

"We better report back to HQ now, sir." Tryo said to Nolan.

Nolan nodded to her before looking back at Team Natsu and the others. "Safe travels everyone. And keep up the noble fight." He said to them. Nolan, Lucas and Tryo stood up straight and gave their friends a salute. Darren, Yuri, Sheena, Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia salute back to the three soldiers in response.

As Nolan, Lucas and Tryo turn around and head to their ship, Erza turns back to all of her friends. "Now then, let's get moving and continue our journey to Mizuho."

"Oh. Do we have to leave now?" Sheena sounded disheartened.

"What's wrong?" Darren asked his friend.

"It's just that…" Sheena sighs heavily. "Never mind. I shouldn't waste my money on such useless things."

"Oh but I don't mind spending some of my money away." Darren said as Alicia opens up her pouch. Sheena looks up at them in confusion for a moment before her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in surprise as Alicia takes out a familiar plush fox out from her pouch. "I know how much you like it, so I bought it as a gift for you and had Alicia keep it for me in the meantime."

"D-D-Darren…" Sheena stuttered. "W-w-why would you-"

"Hey, you are my friend after all, Sheena. And this is to show you how much I appreciate the times we had together." Darren smiled at her.

Sheena abruptly throws her arms up in the air and lets out a shriek of joy before snatching the plush fox from Alicia's hands and holds it up close to her face. "Aren't you a cutie little thingie? Aren't you soooo adorable?"

Everybody else laughed before Erza pumps her fist into the air and shouts enthusiastically, "Alright everyone! Let's head out!"

"Aye!" Everybody else replied in unison as they all turn southwest and continue their journey to Mizuho.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Velvet lets out a furious scream every time she slams her fist against the trunk of a tall tree, not caring that her knuckles are beginning to bleed. She eventually delivers her most powerful punch against the trunk, leaving a huge mark upon it, and Velvet lets out a long agonizing shriek as she gazes at the tree for a moment. As her shriek dies down, Velvet's scowl of rage and fury quickly turns into a look of agony and despair as she begins to wail.

Tears cascade down her cheeks as Velvet lowers her fist. She momentarily sways side to side before she falls on her knees and succumbs into a mental breakdown. After Velvet slams her forehead against the trunk, she sobbed uncontrollably and whimpered,

"Laphicet…my dear Laphicet…Please forgive your big sister…" Velvet paused for a moment to take a hard gulp. "For it was me…who killed you…"

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey for reviewing, Park Sumeria for favoriting and following, and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	13. The Celestial Being, Part 1

_**The Celestial Being, Part 1**_

It has been a couple days since Team Natsu and the others have departed from Hargeon. While walking through a desert during their journey to Mizuho, they unfortunately encountered a heavy sandstorm. But thanks to Estelle, she created a force field around them to brave through the violent storm. Unfortunately, Natsu lost the map to the winds due to his clumsiness. When the storm finally dies down, everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of hopelessness. Now that they no longer have a map, they don't know the directions to Mizuho. But Erza, not wanting to leave everyone in a state of despair, reminds them that they should keep travelling northwards. For she is sure that if they keep doing so, they will be out of the desert in no-

"I think we are lost." Erza said dully with her arms hanging limply at her sides.

"WHAAAATTTT?!" The others shouted in unison.

"Erza! You are the highest ranking member of our guild here! You are supposed to be better than this!" Natsu cried at her.

"At least I still tried to get us out of this desert while _you_ are the one who lost the map in the first place!" Erza snapped at Natsu, jabbing an accusing finger at him.

"I guess your brains melted during our journey, which caused you to get so sloppy." Gray muttered at Natsu.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Natsu whirled about and snapped at Gray.

Lucy slaps herself on her forehead. "Guys, please stop causing more trouble. We are already in such a deep pit of mess." She groaned.

"What are we going to do now?" Wendy asked worriedly.

"And where exactly are we?" Darren asked as he looked around their surroundings.

Everyone turn their heads around and find themselves standing in the middle of what appears to be a huge campsite, almost as big as a small town. Tents are set up everywhere, with some having stalls and campfires set up in front of them. The men are dressed in jackets and pants and the women are wearing dresses that resemble Islamic clothing.

"Oh! I recognize these people! They are Azadistanis!" Estelle proclaimed.

"The people of the city of Azadistan?" Karol inquired.

"Mm!" Estelle nods her head. "I can recognize them through looking at their clothing."

Yuri sighed sympathetically. "Azadistan was once a powerful city that is able to defend itself from the Alvarez Empire. But eleven months later, they were easily defeated by the Abbey. Now, the Azadistanis scatter across Earth Land as refugees."

Everyone remained in silence for a few seconds before Natsu spoke up, "We should find someone who knows the direction to Mizuho so that we can continue our journey."

"Right. I'll go ask this guy." Darren said. He turned and asked an Azadistani elderly man who runs a food stall in front of his tent. "Hello sir, we just want to know, which is the way to Mizuho?"

In response, the elderly man spoke in a foreign language that sounds very alien to Darren and the others.

"Uh-huh. Yes. Alright. Good. Thank you very much." Darren said, nodding his head as he listened to the man. When the man finished speaking, Darren turns back to the others and sighs heavily. "I have no idea."

"I forgot to mention not many Azadistanis speak the same languages as other places in Fiore." Estelle said, sheepishly placing her hands behind her back.

"So I guess we'll have to painstakingly travel around this campsite until we can find someone who can speak our language?" Lucy asked.

"Great! It's like finding a needle in a haystack!" Sheena groaned.

"Hello there. You guys don't look like Azadistanis."

Everyone gasps and widens their eyes upon hearing a voice speaking in perfect English. They turn their heads and see a woman standing near them while carrying a wooden basket filled with groceries. The woman has long white hair, tied to braid, yellow eyes and dressed in a red dress with blue, black and white outlines, a long-sleeved dark green shirt underneath, black pants, white socks and brown boots. What astonishes them the most is the woman's skin tone is brighter than the other people in the campsite.

The woman smiled at them as she pushes some strands of hair away from her eyes. "What brings you all here? Are you travelers?" She asked them politely.

Sheena scratches her head. "Well, shut me up." She remarked.

"Um, yes. We were travelling, but unfortunately we lost our way." Alicia smiled back at woman.

Abruptly, Team Natsu and the others could hear their stomachs growling and they all blush in embarrassment. The woman giggled and said to them, "I'm so sorry to hear about your tragic situation. Why don't you follow me to my tent? I'll cook dinner for all of you, my treat."

Everyone smile in relief. "Thank you so much, ma'am!" Lucy squealed as she clasps her hands together.

"You're welcome." The woman said. "By the way, my name is Marie Parfacy. Nice to meet you all!"

* * *

Everyone follows Marie from behind as they walk through the campsite. Team Natsu and the others look around and observe the Azadistani people going through their daily lives. Some of them are resting and sleeping inside their tents. Others are visiting the stalls to buy supplies with whatever money they have. Some are growing and harvesting plants from their own small gardens that they have outside of their tents. And while the adults are working to provide their families, the children are playing and chasing each other, not having a care for the world. Darren couldn't help but feel some emotional pain inside him, realizing how fortunate he is to be born and living in a rich nation back in his world while other people out there are fighting and struggling to live out their days.

"Before the Abbey's invasion, Azadistan used to be a proud and powerful city. I came to fall in love with it and even found the man of my life over there. But last month, the Abbey came, decimated our defenses and took away our city. My father urged me to return back to Enca, but because I didn't want to leave him behind, I chose to stay with my husband instead. He protected me and we escaped together, and that's how the both of us ended up here with the other surviving Azadistanis." Marie explained to everyone.

When they heard sobs, Team Natsu and the others turn their heads. To their bewilderment, they see Lucy and Estelle clinging onto each other's arms and failing to suppress their tears as they walk.

"T-t-that is so r-romantic…" Lucy whimpered as tears flow down her cheeks.

"Staying with the one you love even during times of war and chaos. No doubt this is true love!" Estelle chokes out as she wipes away her tears with her free arm.

As Lucy and Estelle wail, Darren sighs as he and the others turn their heads back to the front.

"Girls…" Darren, Natsu, Gray, Yuri and Karol said in unison.

" _Ladies and gentlemen!"_ An announcer yelled nearby in the Azadistani language. Marie and the others stop and turn their heads to the side to see the announcer standing in the center of a small podium with a microphone in his hand. Behind him is an extremely large white mat which a few men had laid flat on the sand. Several people and their children stood in front of the podium to watch the announcer. _"We'll be holding our annual Qital Dire competition four days from now! We still have a few slots left for anybody willing to participate. So if you are interested and wish to make our people proud, sign up today and right now!"_ The crowd murmur among themselves.

" _I can't wait for the competition!"_ A small boy said enthusiastically in their native language to the other children.

" _Yeah! Can't wait to see the fighters go punching and kicking each other!"_ A girl said anxiously.

An elderly man sighs as he turns to the young adults next to him. _"It's pretty much going to be the same as last time."_ He muttered.

" _I agree."_ A young adult man responded to him. _"I can already predict that Ali is going to win the tournament again."_

" _He always wins every competition for the last three years."_ A young adult woman added.

"What are they talking about?" Erza questioned.

"There's going to be a fighting competition happening here four days from now." Marie replied to her.

"A fighting competition?!" Natsu perks up as a huge grin appears on his face.

"Yes." Marie said. "Four days from now, we are going to hold our annual Qital Dire competition. Qital Dire means 'Armor Fight' in Azadistani. It is the city's traditional fighting style and a part of our culture to hold this competition once every year in a way to symbolize the strength and power of the Azadistani people."

"Oooh, interesting." Happy said.

"Back in our city, our soldiers would wear large, oversized armor to fight against our invaders." Marie explained. "That was how Azadistan remain strong and powerful for many generations," Marie's eyes softened as her lips flip downwards. "Until we were finally overwhelmed by the Abbey. We underestimated our new enemy, and to our shock and surprise, they defeated our armored fighters and proceed to conquer our home." There is a moment of silence among Marie and the others.

" _And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our defending champion, the Indestructible Saachez, a.k.a. Ali al-Saachez!"_ The announcer extends out his left arm as he moves away. A man with messy red hair and beard cackled as he walks up the podium while carrying a gold championship belt over his left shoulder. The announcer holds out his microphone to Ali, who snatches it from his hand.

" _What's up everybody?"_ Ali smirked at the audience. _"I heard there are still a few vacant slots left for the upcoming competition. So if there is anyone out there who is willing to fight against me, I'll be honored to make you by next victim."_ Ali laughs at his own joke.

Despite not understanding the language Ali is speaking in, Team Natsu and the others can easily tell how arrogant the man is by his tone and body language.

"Who's the loud mouthed guy with the bushy beard?" Gray asked Marie while arching an eyebrow at the boastful fighter.

"That's Ali al-Saachez, the defending champion." Marie replied, narrowing her eyes. "He was also our champion before the Abbey's invasion, and he always proudly proclaims how invincible he is in the fighting ring."

"Sheesh, kinda reminds me of every gamer who boasts through their headphones after ranking first in every online match…only for me to topple them off their made-up throne afterwards." Darren said with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"He sure remains lively even after losing his homeland." Judith said with her arms folded.

"He doesn't care. He only just wants to prove everyone he is still the strongest Azadistani around." Marie replied.

" _I'll take down anyone who gets in my way!"_ Ali shouted as he jabs his finger at all the people in front of him. _"Oh wait, I take that back. I'll take down NO ONE who gets in my way, because NOBODY has the guts to fight me head-on! AHAHAHAHAHA!"_ Marie, Darren, Sheena, Yuri and the members of Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia frown at Ali in disgust as they watch the display.

"We should keep moving. I don't want to make my poor husband wait any longer for our dinner." Marie said to everyone.

"Right." Lucy agreed with her.

* * *

Dawn arrived as everyone continues following Marie from behind to the other side of the campsite. Before they knew it, they find themselves standing in front of two large white tents. One of the tents is closed while the other has an open entrance, showing that there are two beds inside, along with a portable stove and a lacrima ball.

"We're here! My home sweet home." Marie smiled, introducing her tents to Team Natsu and the others. "You guys can sit outside and make yourselves comfortable while I go get my husband."

As everyone sat down in front of the tent's entrance, Marie goes over to the other tent and pokes her head inside.

"Allelujah, I'm home! And I even brought some guests here with me!" Team Natsu and the others could hear Marie calling out.

Marie turns back to them. "You guys can introduce yourselves to my husband while I prepare dinner." She said. As Marie go inside the tent to put down her groceries and start making dinner, a man steps out of the other tent.

The man is tall and muscular, and has shoulder-length black hair with several strands flowing down in front of his right eye. He has slightly darker skin than Marie and currently dressed in a simple black shirt, black pants, a dark brown belt with a silver square buckle and dark brown boots. He uses a towel to wipe off the sweat around his neck before turning his head to Team Natsu and the others.

"Hello, you must be Marie's husband." Erza greeted as she and the others smile and wave their hands at him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. And your wife has been very nice to us." Alicia added.

The man stares back at his guests with a sad eye as he greeted them dully, "Good evening."

The smiles on everyone's faces disappear as the man quietly enters the other tent. He walks over to Marie and sat next to her as she cooks the food with the portable stove. Marie momentarily plants a small kiss on the man's cheek and said to her guests, "Don't mind him. That's just how he is. His name is Allelujah Haptism, and he must be happy to meet all of you."

"Nice to meet you, Allelujah." Yuri said as he waves his hand at Allelujah again. Allelujah simply gave a small nod to him in response before turning back to what Marie is cooking.

"I hope you like what I'm making tonight." Marie said to Allelujah as she gave a gentle pat on his thigh.

"I wonder what is going through his head. He looks very sad." Wendy said with a frown.

"Maybe he's not the talkative type like Gray." Natsu whispered to his teammates.

"What did you say?!" Gray yelled at Natsu as he felt a nerve being struck.

"Natsu, Gray! This is soooo not the time!" Lucy chided her friends over their lack of restraint.

"And if you two break into a fight right now, I swear…" Erza grumbled at Natsu and Gray as she quivered in rage.

When Karol notices Natsu and Gray shuddering at Erza preparing to unleash her inner demon, he quickly tries to make the situation better by questioning Marie, "So Marie, what exactly are you cooking tonight? It smells delicious!"

"Oh thank you very much, Karol!" Marie said gratefully to Karol. "It's cauliflower stew! I'm sure you all will love it!"

Lucy sighs in relief and whispered, "Thank you Karol…"

"Mmm, sounds delicious. What is it exactly made of besides cauliflower?" Karol inquired, intentionally trying to make his conversation with Marie longer.

As Marie began conversing with her guests, Darren turns his head to the tent which Allelujah came out from before. He glances at his friends and see that they are busy listening to Marie's explanation. He turns back to the tent again and decides to take the opportunity to see what is inside.

Darren quietly gets up and walks over to the tent. He slowly pushes the entrance flap aside to take a look inside. His eyes grew wide and his mouth agape as he entered.

In front of him are an anvil, a large stove and a desk next to it. What really caught his attention the most is a very large dome-shaped dark grey metal helmet with a yellow visor placed on the desk next to the stove. He also noticed a portrait placed besides the helmet.

Darren walks over to the desk and picks up the portrait to take a closer look. In the picture is Allelujah wearing a large, oversized dark grey metal armor that covers up his entire body. There is a long black turret attached on top of his right shoulder armor. Also on his arms are two large gatling guns placed on the right gauntlet and a large pair of metal claws on the left.

In front of him is Marie who is wearing a dark yellow shirt, a brown belt with a silver square buckle, dark grey pants and black boots. She is smiling happily as she places her head against Allelujah's chest armor and wraps her arms around him in a warm embrace. Allelujah, who towers over his wife by nearly three feet, is also smiling for the camera as he carefully places his hand on Marie's back.

Darren glances at the helmet on the desk before looking back at the portrait. He stares at the picture in awe as he came to a realization.

"Allelujah…" Darren uttered. "He used to be a Qital Dire fighter."

His thoughts were soon interrupted by a loud cough. Darren whirled about to see Allelujah, standing at the entrance while holding a plate containing his dinner in one hand. Darren flinched at the cold glare Allelujah is giving him.

"You're not supposed to be here." Allelujah said icily to him.

"S-sorry." Darren said apologetically as he places the portrait down on the desk. "I just-"

"Get. Out." Allelujah said firmly.

Darren sadly nods his head before making his way out of the tent. Allelujah glares at Darren as he watches him leave. He blew out a sigh before going back into his tent and closing the flap behind him.

"Darren! What were you thinking?! How can you trespass into people's homes like that?!" Sheena scolded Darren as he walks over to her.

"Sorry guys, I was curious." Darren said as he sat with the others and Marie.

"Marie, I'm so sorry about my friend's behavior for barging into your property without your permission." Sheena said apologetically to Marie.

"Oh no, don't need to feel sorry." Marie smiled at her as she waves her hand. "You guys aren't familiar with this place after all. Here you go, Darren." Marie hands a plate of her dinner to Darren who takes it from her hand.

"Thank you." Darren said to her.

Marie grabs her own plate of her food and said to her guests, "Let's eat!"

Darren, Sheena, Yuri, Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia and Marie proceed to eat the cauliflower stew she had cooked for everyone. It is a shame that Allelujah isn't eating with them as everyone would have love to know more about him. But Marie explained to them that her husband is usually quiet and isn't very social with others.

"Delicious!" Yuri commented with his eyes wide before taking another bite of his food.

"Your stew taste great!" Estelle remarked.

"It's really good!" Alicia complimented as she looks up at Marie.

"Thank you very much." Marie replied with a soft smile.

Everyone seems to be enjoying the food Marie had cooked for them, except Natsu who stares at the plate of food in his hands in disgust.

"Come on Natsu, eat your dinner. It is rude to not eat the food that our host had graciously cooked for us." Lucy said to him.

"If there isn't any meat inside this, I ain't eating." Natsu grumbled.

"Natsu, if you don't eat your veggies, I'll make sure you get up early in the morning and do a hundred push-ups to make up for it." Erza growled as she glares at Natsu.

Natsu flinched as soon as he took a glance at Erza's death glare. Knowing that Erza's way of training people is brutal, painful and ends in tears, Natsu picks up his spoon and hurriedly eats the stew.

"Hey! Not so fast or you'll end up choking!" Lucy rebuked.

Marie giggled as she watches Natsu eats her food in a very fast pace. "Oh my, I'm glad you love eating my stew so much. I can give you another round if you so desire." She said. Natsu looks up at Marie with his cheeks puffed up and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Marie, may I ask you something?" Darren asked.

"Of course! You can ask me anything." Marie turned to him.

"How did you first met Allelujah?" Darren inquired. "How exactly did you meet and fall in love with him?"

"Ah yes." Marie's eyes softened as she strokes her hair. "Like all of you, I was a traveler back then. I was visiting the city of Azadistan at the time, and it was one of the most beautiful and exotic places I've ever seen in all of Earth Land. I was so mesmerized by the sights of their city that I wasn't looking where I go. I bumped into some men who began harassing me, demanding me to apologize and compensate them. But, that is until Allelujah shows up. He completely towers over me and my harassers while dressed in his armor. He grabs the men and tosses them aside like throwing paper balls into a waste basket." She chuckled for a moment while the others stare back at her in bewilderment. "And as soon as Allelujah turns his head to me and we lay our eyes on each other's faces for the very first time…that was when my heart began racing. The first words he ever said to me were asking me if I was alright. Of course, because my mind was so emotionally clouded back then, my way of saying yes was pretty dumbfounded. And when he turned his back on me, I began following him from behind. Back then, he didn't know why I was doing that and looking back, I was a bit creepy too." Marie chuckled momentarily again. "I kept following him for two days until eventually; he just walks up to me and ask if I want to join him for lunch. Of course I accepted his offer and we began communicating with each other since. And it's no surprise that our relationship eventually blossomed into true love."

"That's really nice of him." Alicia said.

"He is a nice person." Marie nods her head. "Allelujah may be tall…huge…looks intimidating…but deep down, when you get to know him, he's still a very kind man with a gentle heart."

"So what happened? Why is he sad and quiet now?" Darren asked.

Marie sighed inwardly. "Well, after dating for two years, Allelujah and I eventually got married and my father was there to watch our happiest moment. But sadly, only a short while after our marriage, the Abbey invaded Azadistan. My father stressed that I should return back to Enca with him. But I never want to leave my husband behind. So I chose to stay in Azadistan with him. Allelujah stood in the front lines with his fellow Qital Dire warriors and they all fought valiantly against the Abbey. But unfortunately, the city of Azadistan underestimated their strength. Despite their small size, the Abbey's foot soldiers defeated them. Fortunately, Allelujah survived and I was so happy to learn that he is still alive. But sadly, my husband was traumatized by the deaths of his fellow warriors who fail to defend Azadistan from the Abbey's advance. Azadistan fell shortly afterwards and my husband and I escaped the city together. Since then, my husband grew silent. He blames himself for the fall of our city and became isolated from the outside world. Now, he just stays inside his own home and the only person left in his life he still talks to is me." Marie lowers her head and frowns as she places her hand on her chest. "Watching him stay silent and continuing to carry the blame really hurts me. But I'm not going to give up on him. As his wife, it is my responsibility to stay by his side and help him get through the emotional pain he still carries inside him."

As Darren fell silent after listening to her explanation, Erza smiled sadly at Marie and said, "Allelujah should feel very fortunate to have a dedicated woman like you as his wife."

Alicia and Sheena turn to Lucy and Estelle as they sob and wipe away their tears again. Alicia sighs heavily before commenting, "Seriously? Again?"

"Suck it up, you guys." Sheena murmured.

"Marie, we really thank you for the dinner you have provided for us." Gray said. "But now, we are wondering if you could do us a favor. We lost our map during our travels and got ourselves wandering around aimlessly. That is how we ended up in this place. So we are hoping if we can get a new map of Earth Land in this campsite."

"Oh, that's okay! You don't have to worry. My husband has some spare maps of Earth Land. I'll go ask him if he can give one of them away to all of you." Marie said.

Everyone except Darren smile at Marie in relief. "Thank you so much, Marie!" Natsu said with gratitude.

"You're welcome." Marie bows her head to her guests before getting up and making her way to Allelujah's tent. While Sheena, Yuri and the members of Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia express their joy and relief to each other, only Darren stayed silent, contemplating over what Marie had told him and his friends about Allelujah's past.

* * *

Marie hands over a spare map to Erza after her husband agreed to give one of his away to Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia. Realizing that it is getting late, Darren, Sheena, Alicia, Yuri and the two guilds decide to stay in the refugee camp for the night. They step out of the boundaries of the campsite and Erza and Estelle magically summon their camping equipment.

Darren, Alicia, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Yuri and Judith waste no time in setting up the tents which they had slept inside before. After they have finish building them up, everyone sat outside their tents and happily converse with each other.

"I'm so glad we got ourselves a new map. Now we can continue our journey early in the morning!" Natsu said, grinning happily.

"Let's hope we don't encounter another sandstorm or we'll end up losing our new map too." Sheena said.

"Sheena, don't jinx us." Judith said flatly.

"No I'm not!" Sheena protested. "I'm just making a comment!"

"But Sheena is right. You better be more careful next time, Natsu!" Lucy reminded her friend. In response, Natsu groaned in annoyance as he throws his head back.

"Indeed. I certainly don't want us to go through all that trouble in trying to navigate without the usage of a map again." Carla muttered as she rubs her temples.

"If you are all so worried, why not give it to me-" Happy tried to say, but he soon gets interrupted by Lucy.

"Oh no! We are soooo not entrusting the map to someone who is just as careless as Natsu!" Lucy cried, narrowing her eyes and jabbing a finger at Happy.

"Just kidding." Happy snickered with a lopsided grin.

"Keep it down, everyone! You're going to wake the refugees who have gone to sleep." Wendy said to everyone nervously.

Alicia lets out a heavy sigh as she watches her friends end up making another commotion among themselves. But she quickly realized that Darren isn't sitting with them. Alicia turns her head to the side and notices Darren standing nearby and staring out to the campsite. She gets up from the ground and walks over to him.

"Hey there, what's up?" Alicia asked Darren in concern as she walks over to his side. She notices the frown on Darren's face as he watches the refugees heading back into their tents and deactivating their lacrimas, preparing to go to sleep.

"Darren, are you okay?" Alicia asked again. She places her hand on his shoulder which snaps him out of his thoughts.

Darren turns to Alicia and responded, "I'm fine. It's just…it's about Allelujah. He was once a strong and noble warrior before the Abbey's invasion. But now, he's been reduced to nothing more than someone who has lost his pride and honor."

"Yeah, I feel sorry for him too." Alicia said softly as she removes her hand.

"Alicia, I was wondering. Can we stay here until the end of the competition?" Darren asked.

"What?" Alicia widens her eyes in surprise.

"I know it's crazy but…I really want to help Allelujah. He clearly lost his purpose in living. If this keeps up, he will eventually lose his connection with everyone around him, even Marie." Darren explained. "That is why; I'm going to enter him into the Qital Dire tournament."

Alicia said nothing as she stares wordlessly at him. Darren smirked at her before saying to her, "I'm going to train him and build the best armor he is going to wear in the competition." He raises his hand up and curls it into a tight fist. "I want to help him regain what he had lost and become one of the greatest warriors in all of Earth Land again!"

* * *

Allelujah and Marie slowly woke up from their sleeping bags as the sun rises in the morning sky. They rose up from the floor and Marie moans as she stretches her arms while Allelujah scratches his head and strokes his ruffled hair.

"Good morning, Allelujah." Marie turns to her husband and smiled.

Allelujah responded with a small nod and replied softly, "Morning."

"I'll prepare breakfast while you go outside to stretch yourself." Marie said and she plants a small kiss on Allelujah's cheek. While Maries crawls over to the portable stove and her grocery bags, Alllelujah gets up and makes his way out of their makeshift home.

As soon as he steps out though, his eyes instantly snap wide open and his jaw dropped in genuine surprise. He never expected to find Darren, standing right in front of him and the entrance to his home. A wide smile plasters across Darren's face as he raised his hand.

"Good morning, Allelujah! How are you doing today?" Darren greeted cheerfully. Allelujah didn't say a word as he stares back at him dumbfounded.

When he didn't get any sort of response, Darren chuckled and continued, "I'm sure you're aware that the annual Qital Dire competition is only three days from now. And guess what? I've signed you up!"

"Huh?" Allelujah said incredulously. That was when Darren's cheerful smile quickly distorts into an ugly scowl as he draws out his katana and raises it diagonally into the air.

"So what are you waiting for?! Begin running around the entire campsite now! MOVE YOUR ASS!" When Darren stomps his foot, Allelujah flinched and obliged. Despite being several inches taller than Darren, Allelujah cannot overcome the fear and wraith that he had laid upon him. He turns to his right and began running his way out of the boundaries of the campsite.

"I'll be watching you! Run faster!" Darren bellowed as he sheathes his katana and runs after Allelujah from behind.

* * *

After running around the campsite and returning back to the tent, Darren orders Allelujah to get down on the ground and do a hundred push-ups. Darren kneels down and gazes at Allelujah as he pushes himself up and down from the ground.

While that is going on, Alicia, Sheena, Yuri and the members of Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia are all standing nearby and watching Darren train the tall man.

"Is he seriously going to train someone to fight and win in the competition within just three days? He must be crazy." Yuri asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I hope he succeeds though. You can do it, Darren!" Estelle said encouragingly as she holds up her fists.

"It seems Darren took some notes from you, Erza." Alicia said to Erza.

"Heh. It feels as if the student has become the master for a change." Erza smirked as she folds her arms.

"More like a goblin training a dragon." Sheena said as she places her hands on the sides of her hip. A small smile appears on her face as she couldn't help but admire Darren's determination to train the former Azadistani warrior for the upcoming competition. It was as if the timid and clueless person that she once knew had come a long way ever since joining Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia on their journey together.

"Come on, man! Is this the best you can do? FASTER!" Darren roared at Allelujah.

Allelujah narrows his eyes and grits his teeth as he felt angered by Darren's merciless shouting. He lets out a yell of rage as he does his push-ups at a faster pace.

* * *

When Allelujah finished his push-ups, Darren now demands him to do sit-ups. Darren places his knees down on Allelujah's feet as the former Azadistani warrior does his exercises.

Nearby, Marie is passing her food to Alicia, Sheena, Yuri and the members of Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia who are sitting outside their tent. After they thank her for making breakfast for them, Marie goes over to Darren and passes him his plate of food.

"Thanks Marie." Darren smiled at Marie as he takes the dish from her. He turns to Allelujah and gave him a smirk. "Unfortunately for you, you can't eat until you're done with your exercises."

Allelujah grumbled under his breath, but he turns to Marie who smiled tenderly at him as she stood beside him.

"Keep up the good work, dear." Marie said encouragingly before walking back inside their tent. A smile takes form on Allelujah's face for a brief moment. He turns back to Darren who munches on his flatbread. He frowns and narrows his eyes at him as he continues doing his sit-ups.

* * *

Darren gave Allelujah a pat on his shoulder after he finished his exercises. He passes him his towel and Allelujah uses it to wipe off his sweat on his neck and chest.

"You did well today, Allelujah." Darren said. "But now, it's time for the second phase of your training, and that is building your armor. Which means you'll have to allow me to enter your tent, will you?"

Allelujah glances at his tent for a moment and turns back to Darren. He silently nods his head and Darren's smile widens.

"Thank you very much. Let's go inside." Darren said. The two walk over to Allelujah's tent, push aside the entrance flaps and step inside. Darren eagerly goes over to the stove and turns to Allelujah. "Alright, now that we are here, I want you to replicate the exact same armor that you had back then." He instructed Allelujah as he points at the portrait of him in his old armor with Marie.

Allelujah sighed inwardly as he gazes at the portrait. He walks over to it and picks it up from the desk. After staring silently at the picture for a few seconds, Allelujah uttered, "Every time I see this picture, it reminds me of the good old days. And most of the time, I long for those days again. I continue having dreams of how I used to be a proud and honorable defender of Azadistan. But my perspective of myself changed when the Abbey attacked. Despite the combined strengths of both me and my armor, I was easily defeated. And all of my fellow brothers-in-arms…I watched them die around me, one by one. That battle changed my life, and I blame myself for not being able to defend my home, which led to what is happening to my fellow Azadistanis now."

Darren stared wordlessly at Allelujah as he gently slides his fingers on Marie in the picture. "The only thing left that is reminding me to stay alive is my wife. And even still, I stayed silent…letting myself suffer from the emotional pain inside me instead of opening it up to the person who cared for me the most." Allelujah paused for a moment to wipe away the tears from his eyes. "I miss my old self. I wish I can regain the pride and honor that I once had. I wish I can feel the love that I had for everyone around me, especially Marie, all over again." Darren walks over to him and places his hand on Allelujah's shoulder.

"Then let's work together to revive your old self again, huh?" Darren said with a smirk. Allelujah places the portrait down on the desk and nods his head.

"Let's do it." He said firmly.

* * *

Allelujah puts on his gloves and apron before waving his hand to activate the heat lacrima inside the bottom of the stove. He turns and sees Darren placing the blueprints of his armor on the desk.

"It's a thing of beauty, isn't it?" Allelujah asked.

"Even though art is never my best subject in school, I can't wait for you to show me the ropes." Darren said.

Allelujah flashes a quick smirk at Darren before turning back to his stove. When he felt that the temperature of the heat coming from the flames is right, Allelujah begins his process of making his armor. He holds up his hand and magically summons his pair of tongs, much to Darren's amazement.

"We Azadistanis aren't primitive. We do use magic. But when it comes to carving the armor, you do it by hand." Allelujah said solemnly.

"Just like cleaning your room…" Darren said. "You do it by hand."

"Exactly right."

For the next hour, Darren attentively watched Allelujah create the pieces of his desired design for his armor. He uses a hammer to slam on a large piece of metal that he securely placed on the anvil with his tongs several times. When Allelujah is satisfied with the curve of the piece he had made, he picks it up with his tongs and dips it into a large bucket of water, causing it to sizzle. When the metal piece has cooled down, Allelujah removes it from the bucket and places it on the desk. Darren stares at it in awe, realizing that it is a greave.

Allelujah picks up another flat piece of metal from the floor and holds it up to Darren. He passes the hammer to Darren and said, "Now you try."

Darren walks over to the anvil and places the piece of metal on top of it. Allelujah began instructing him while Darren starts to slam the hammer onto the metal.

As they work, Marie enters the tent while carrying a tray of food and drinks she had made for Allelujah and Darren. When she noticed that her husband and friend are busy working on the armor and conversing with each other, Marie couldn't help but smile. She had never seen her husband this active for a while. She places the tray of food down on the floor before she quietly turns around and leaves the tent.

Some time had passed and Allelujah told Darren to stop slamming the metal. Darren picks it up from the anvil with the tongs and a huge smile takes form on his face as he stares at his creation. He has always been crafting items and weapons in video games, but never imagined that one day; he would actually build something similar in reality.

Allelujah tells Darren to dip the piece of metal into the bucket of water. When the metal piece has cooled off, Darren removes it from the bucket and places it on the desk along with Allelujah's earlier creation.

"We got ourselves a pair." Allelujah said.

"Alright!" Darren said enthusiastically as he holds up his hand to Allelujah. Allelujah stares at his hand in confusion and Darren explains to him, "Oh um, you are supposed to hit my hand back." Allelujah curls his hand into a fist and gave a punch onto Darren's hand. Darren shrugs his shoulders. "Close enough."

Darren and Allelujah spend the rest of the day building the armor up until late at night. For the next three days, they would go to sleep late and wake up as soon as morning came. Darren forces Allelujah to do some intense exercises before having their breakfast. Afterwards, they will head into Allelujah's tent and continue working on the armor. As they work, Darren and Allelujah would get into conversations, telling their stories to each other that happened in their respective worlds. Every once in a while, Marie or any of Darren's friends will take a quiet peek through the entrance flaps of the tent to see what they are doing. They would either catch them working on the armor or smiling back at them as they have their lunch and conversing with each other. Either way, Marie and Darren's friends would feel glad to see them working hard for the upcoming competition and seeing Allelujah working and interacting with another person again.

* * *

Eventually, the day of the Qital Dire competition has come. A few hours before the competition starts, Darren told his friends and Marie to stay outside of Allelujah's tent as he goes inside to get his friend to prepare himself. Everyone stood outside of the tent for ten minutes.

"Darren, are you done inside there?" Natsu called out to him, sounding impatient.

As soon as he said that, Darren steps out of the tent with Allelujah's dome-shaped helmet in his hand and sees everyone standing in front of him. "Sorry to keep you waiting but I'm done dressing him up for the competition." He said.

"Dressing…up?" Alicia said. Darren pushes the entrance flap and stand aside. Everyone present could hear some heavy stomping coming from inside the tent and also feel the ground trembling. As Allelujah steps out of the tent, everybody raise their heads and widen their eyes in awe.

To their amazement, Allelujah now towers over them by a few feet as he is dressed in a large, oversized dark grey metal armor. Marie places her hands over her mouth, surprised beyond belief to see her husband once again dressed in that familiar armor all those years ago.

Darren smirked and holds up the helmet to his friend. "You're ready."

Allelujah gave a solemn nod to him. He takes the helmet and securely places it over his head. It is time to find out if all of their efforts had paid off.

* * *

 **Sovereign: It certainly has been a while since I've updated this story, but I'm finally back. I would like to thank JinxTitan, Kaninne and biscoiju for favoriting and following, AquaBluey for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks everyone!**


	14. The Celestial Being, Part 2

_**The Celestial Being, Part 2**_

The Azadistanis gather in front of the large white mat to watch the annual fighting competition. The announcer and seven men dressed in oversized armors stood on the mat and face the audience. One of the men is Ali, grinning at the spectators as he is dressed in a pale red metallic armor with white blades attached on its gauntlets.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Today is the time of the year once again! Welcome to our annual Qital Dire competition!"_ The announcer said to the spectators with his microphone. _"Let this competition serve as a reminder to all of us, young and old, that even in times of war, even when our home is taken, our spirit and culture never died. This year, which one of our eight competitors will win the tournament?"_

The announcer is interrupted by Ali's laugh.

" _Sorry sir, but I think you made a mistake. There are only seven of us here."_ Ali said to him.

" _But I heard from the judges that there are eight registered competitors this year."_ The announcer said.

" _Really? Ha!"_ A huge grin appears on Ali's face. _"I guess the eighth competitor didn't show up because he's too chicken to face me! HAHAHAHAHA!"_ He burst out into a cruel laugh, completely ignoring the odd looks from the people around him.

"Sorry we're late!"

" _Huh?"_ Ali said in confusion. Everyone turn their heads to the right side of the mat to see Darren rushing over.

As he stood at the side of the mat, Darren turns to the spectators and sees Marie and his friends standing at the far left corner of the crowd waving their hands at him. Darren smiled back at them before holding up a piece of paper which he wrote and Marie helped translate them into their native language. He points his finger up in the air as he exclaimed, _"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Please welcome the eighth competitor of the tournament…Allelujah Haptism!"_

Everyone turn their heads again and see Allelujah, dressed in his armor, walking his way to the competition mat. He turns to the spectators and waves his hand at them.

"Go Allelujah!" Marie cheered for her husband as she waves her hand at him.

"Kick some butt out there!" Natsu shouted enthusiastically as he gave a thumbs-up.

"You can do it!" Wendy cried as she pumps her fists into the air.

Happy laughs as he flies around the air, performing several loops. Gray places his fingers into his mouth and gave a loud whistle while Lucy, Erza, Carla, Alicia and the others clap their hands.

" _Allelujah Haptism? I think I heard that name before."_ One of the spectators murmured.

" _I remember! He was one of the captains of the Qital Dire warriors who fought against both the Alvarez Empire and the Abbey head-on!"_ Another spectator realized aloud.

" _Amazing…"_ Another spectator responded to him.

" _An actual Qital Dire warrior in this year's competition? This may be interesting after all."_ Another one remarked.

Ali frowns at the audience as he hears and notices the spark of interest that Allelujah had gained from them. He turns back to Allelujah as he walks over to the end of the line of fighters and stands next to one of them. He grits his teeth as he stares at him. He doesn't care if Allelujah had fought in the battlefield before. No matter what, he isn't losing his championship belt to anyone this year or ever.

As the officials escort Darren out of the fighting zone, the announcer turns back to the spectators and proclaimed, _"Alright everyone! Now that all eight of our registered fighters are here, we can now proceed to make the draw!"_

The spectators applaud as an official walks up to the announcer with a glass bowl filled with small folded pieces of paper. Meanwhile, Darren walks over to the far left end of the crowd to reunite with Marie and his friends.

"I hope I helped made an intriguing entrance for Allelujah just now." Darren said to them.

"Man, I'm starving." Natsu groans as he rubs his stomach.

"Want some? I bought these from one of the food vendors." Estelle asked as she holds up a paper bag full of skewers to Natsu.

"Alright, thanks!" Natsu grins as he takes a skewer from the bag and takes a bite. But only a second later, his eyes nearly bulged out and he lets out a cry of disgust as he heaves out its contents onto his hand. "Gak!"

"Excuse you!" Lucy cried at her friend in annoyance as she stood beside him.

"What is this?!" Natsu yelled in displeasure as he looks down at the food he had munched on his hand.

"Oh, it's grilled vegetable skewer, consisting of tomatoes, garlic, onions and capsicums." Marie answered his question.

"Aww yuck!" Natsu groaned. He turns back to Estelle and he was about to pour his food into her bag of skewers. But Estelle flinched and quickly moves away from the pink-haired mage while protectively covering up her bag of food.

"Don't even think about it!" Estelle shouted at Natsu.

" _And that means the last match shall be Rafi Hamed VS Allelujah Haptism."_ The announcer said as he puts back a folded piece of paper back into the glass bowl. _"So as the tournament lineup is stated…Match 1 is Ali al-Saachez VS Reza Kadhim…"_

Ali smirks as he turns to the fighter dressed in gold armor.

" _Match 2 is Mahdi Meram VS Fawaz Aosman…Match 3 is Salem Fardan VS Nazrul al-Matari…And finally match 4 is Rafi Hamed VS Allelujah Haptism."_

Allelujah turns to Rafi who stood right beside him and extends his hand to him. Rafi grabs his hand and shakes it.

" _The winners of these matches will advance to the semi-finals, and after that, the championship final. Good luck to all our glorious fighters!"_ The announcer extends his left arm to all the participants as he proclaimed. The fighters clap their hands while the spectators including Marie, Darren and his friends cheered. _"Now then, without further ado, let the first match of the tournament begin!"_

As Mahdi, Fawaz, Salem, Nazrul, Rafi and Allelujah turn and make their way out of the fighting mat, Ali calls out to the latter, _"Hey Allelujah!"_

Allelujah stops at his tracks and turns to the proud champion. _"So you formerly fought in the front lines against the Alvarez Empire and the Abbey, eh?"_ Ali asked with a smirk. _"Interesting. I've actually always wanted to know how strong you guys really were."_

Allelujah's face distorts into a scowl. _"You'll find out soon enough."_ He replied.

Ali laughed in response as he places his hands on his hips. _"Hope you don't fall flat on your face like you all did in your last battle."_ He sneered.

As Ali turns his back on him, Allelujah grits his teeth and his fists shook uncontrollably as he clenches them tightly. Honestly, he would love to deliver a good beating on Ali right now for disrespecting the dead, but he knows he can't let himself get distracted by senseless rage right now. After inwardly taking a deep breath, Allelujah calms himself down and joins the other participants while Ali and Reza prepare for the first match of the tournament.

* * *

Ali and Reza did a few stretches with their bodies and armor as they stood face to face at the center of the mat. As Marie, Darren and his friends watch attentively, they see that the left shoulder pad on Reza's gold armor has sharp spikes while the right pad is a large flat rectangular-shaped shield that goes down to his right wrist.

" _You think that shield of yours is gonna protect yourself from me? Keep dreaming."_ Ali taunted his opponent with a lopsided grin.

" _Fighters! Prepare yourselves!"_ The announcer called to Ali and Reza as he stood far away from the mat while standing beside four judges who are sitting on the ground. Allelujah and the other participants stood beside the judges as they watch the match from the sidelines. Ali and Reza fell silent as they get into their battle stances. _"3…2…1…FIGHT!"_

The two men yell as they charge towards each other. Ali delivers the first strike by swinging his left fist at Reza. Reza turns his body and blocks Ali's punch with his shield. As he turns his body to the other side, Reza swings his left fist diagonally and throws a direct punch to Ali's gut.

A grin appears on Ali's face as he remarked, _"Is that all you got?"_

Ali grabs Reza's right shoulder and throws his helmet down like a sledgehammer. Reza yells in pain as the impact cracks the visor of his helmet.

" _That was a heck of a blow you gave to my guts. Now here is mine!"_ Ali taunted as he lifts his knee up and collide it against Reza's gut, causing him to bend forward. Ali firmly grasps Reza by the back of his neck and swings his right fist, delivering a swift punch right into his face.

Reza stumbles backwards and tries to maintain his balance. But just as he recompose himself, Ali charges up to him and delivers a powerful kick to Reza's abdomen that sends him sprawling through the ground and over the edge of the mat. The spectators and the participants fell silent as they watch Reza's elimination. One of the judges rings the bell in front of her, signaling the end of the match.

" _Here's your winner…Ali al-Saachez!"_ The announcer yelled. Ali cackled as he pumps his fists into the air while the spectators applauded. The only ones who aren't clapping are Marie, Darren and his friends, who frown at Ali as he is self-absorbed in his own celebration.

* * *

The second and third matches went uneventful. Mahdi won his fight against Fawaz within a few minutes by pinning him on the ground for three seconds and Salem defeated Nazrul by pushing him out of the mat. With that, the fourth match of the tournament is about to begin and both Rafi and Allelujah enter the fighting mat.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for Match 4! Rafi Hamed...versus…Allelujah Haptism!"_

"Go Allelujah!" Marie shouted enthusiastically as she, Darren and his friends rapidly clap their hands.

"You can do it!" Alicia added. When Darren looks around and sees the spectators clapping their hands nonchalantly, he frowns and turns back to Allelujah at the fighting mat. He began clapping his hands harder and faster as his eyes widen in frustration, in a feeble attempt to encourage the spectators to give Allelujah a bigger applause.

Allelujah and Rafi stood in front of each other at the center of the mat and bow their heads solemnly. As they take a moment to stretch their bodies and armor, Allelujah had a good look at Rafi's armor. Its torso, shoulder pads, hands, kneepads, greaves and feet are in black while its arms and upper thigh armor are in gold. His armor has several sharp blades attached on its right gauntlet. Rafi looks back at Allelujah and holds up his blades. Allelujah responds by narrowing his eyes and holding up his metal claw.

" _You warriors have gatling guns on your armor during battle too, right?"_ Rafi asked his opponent.

" _Yes. I would have had them on my armor too, but projectile weapons are prohibited in the tournament."_ Allelujah replied.

Rafi's lips form into a wan smile. _"I always wonder how strong you guys are without the guns anyway."_ He said.

" _Prepare yourselves!"_ The announcer shouted. Allelujah and Rafi lower their arms and get into their fighting stances. Darren and Marie narrow their eyes and clench their fists as they gaze at the fight intensively. _"3…2…1…FIGHT!"_

Allelujah and Rafi charge at each other and swing their weapons. The two find their claw and blades clash against each other and both fighters stayed at a stalemate, trying to overpower the other.

Rafi curls his free hand into a tight fist and swings it at Allelujah's abdomen. But before he could land a hit, Allelujah successfully swipes Rafi's blades away with his claw, causing his opponent to lower his fist.

Allelujah proceeds to deliver an uppercut underneath Rafi's jaw with his right fist. He swiftly uses his claw to grasp Rafi's left wrist and as he whirled about, he tosses Rafi over to the edge of the mat. Rafi sprawls through the mat but he places his hands down on the ground to slow down his sliding. His helmet barely missed the edge of the mat and he quickly gets back up.

Rafi charges at Allelujah and swings his blades at him. Allelujah dodges them by sliding to the side and goes around Rafi. Rafi turns his head barely in time before Allelujah throws his claw at him and punches him at the side of his helmet. Rafi stumbles onto the ground and Allelujah approaches him.

As he does, Rafi turns around and delivers one final thrust of his blades at Allelujah. But Allelujah grabs the blades with his claw. As he closes the grip of his claw, the blades break and shatter. Rafi widens his eyes and Allelujah aims his claw at his face. Realizing that he is now defenseless without his blades, Rafi laid on the ground in defeat. He taps his hand on the ground, signaling his surrender. This is followed by the ringing of the bell.

" _Here's your winner…Allelujah Haptism!"_ The announcer yelled. The spectators cheered loudly as they applause.

"Way a go, Allelujah!" Marie cried happily for her husband as she, Darren and his friends clap their hands.

"Yeah! Well done!" Darren shouted ecstatically.

Allelujah moves his claw away and extends out his right hand to Rafi. _"You fought well."_ He commented.

Rafi smiled back at Allelujah before grabbing his hand. Allelujah pulls his opponent up from the ground and Rafi extends his arm out to the man who defeated him, causing the audience to cheer louder.

Darren's smile widened as he watch the spectators cheer. He looks back at Allelujah and continues clapping his hands in satisfaction.

* * *

With the end of the first four matches come the semi-finals. Ali is pitted against Mahdi. Mahdi, who is dressed in a red armor that has angular-shaped shoulder pads and a sharp horn sticking out on the top of his helmet, finds himself stumbling backwards after getting punch in the face by Ali.

Mahdi snarls and charges at Ali again. He delivers a few punches across Ali's helmet. Ali kept his grin on his face as his opponent mercilessly punches him. After Mahdi delivers another punch, Ali swiftly turns back to his opponent and taunts, _"Give me a break!"_

Suddenly, Ali throws his right fist and delivers a swift punch across Mahdi's face. Mahdi yells in pain as Ali now grabs his right shoulder pad. Ali proceeds to punch him in the abdomen several times with his left fist before finally ending it with an uppercut to the bottom of his jaw.

Mahdi stumbles backwards before falling to the floor like a sack of bricks. Ali places his leg on top of Mahdi's chest and the judge counts to three. Afterwards, she rings the bell.

* * *

In the second semi-final match, Allelujah fights with Salem who is dressed in armor that has an orange torso, white arms and white legs. Salem slams his fists together and tilts his head side to side before getting into his battle stance. Allelujah bows his head to his opponent before preparing to fight as well.

" _3…2…1…BEGIN!"_ The announcer shouted. Salem and Allelujah charge towards each other and the former swings his right fist at the latter. Allelujah dodges the punch by sliding to the other side. But Salem quickly responded by jabbing his left elbow at Allelujah's chest. As Allelujah stumbles to the side, Salem turns and swings his right fist again, successfully delivering a punch to the visor of his opponent's helmet.

The spectators cry and quickly back away from the mat as Allelujah approaches them. But Allelujah regains his balance and stop just before he steps out of the mat. Marie, Darren and his friends sigh in relief from his near elimination. Allelujah stood up and holds up his hand to the spectators, receiving applause from them.

"Go Allelujah!" Darren shouted as he pumps his fist into the air.

Allelujah whirled about as Salem charges at him. Salem throws his fists at him. Allelujah grabs his fists and pushes them back. The two stayed at a stalemate as they push against each other, trying to overpower the other. However, Salem throws his helmet down at Allelujah's face, knocking him down and he fell to his knees.

"Allelujah!" Marie cried in horror.

"Come on! Get up!" Erza shouted.

As Allelujah stayed on the ground, Salem proceeds to lift his knee and kicks him at his face several times. With every hit Allelujah receives, his grip on Salem's fists tightened.

" _I…will…not..."_ Allelujah grits his teeth and glares at Salem. _"LOSE HERE!"_

Salem stares back in bewilderment as Allelujah slowly gets up from the ground and stands up straight. Allelujah soon lifts his knee up and delivers a powerful kick to Salem's chest. Salem is send stumbling backwards and Allelujah throws his punches across Salem's face. He later grabs Salem's arm with his claw and tosses him over his shoulder, slamming him hard on the mat.

Allelujah places his foot on Salem's chest. Salem could only stay on the ground and stare at his opponent in shock as the judge counts to the three. The bell rings and the spectators cheered.

" _Here's your winner…Allelujah Haptism!"_ The announcer shouted.

"YEEEEESSSSS!" Darren, Alicia and Karol all shouted excitedly as they pump their fists into the air.

"He did it! He made it into the finals!" Karol exclaimed.

"ALLELUJAH!" Marie squealed happily as she frantically claps her hands.

"Alright, Allelujah!" Natsu yelled with a wide grin on his face as he holds his fist up into the air.

"Well done!" Lucy cried in delight as she and Sheena clap their hands.

"Amazing!" Sheena shouted excitedly.

Allelujah turns to Marie, Darren and his friends at the crowd. He smiled underneath his helmet and gave them a thumbs-up.

* * *

As the men behind him are sweeping and flattening the mat with their brooms, the announcer said to the spectators, _"Ladies and gentlemen, what a spectacular and unprecedented competition this has been! While our undefeated champion Ali al-Saachez has once again reached the final, this year we have a newcomer who has never participate in any prior tournaments, valiantly made his way up to the top! So now it has all come to this! Who will be our Qital Dire champion this year?! Will it be the invincible Ali al-Saachez?! Or the underdog newcomer Allelujah Haptism?!"_

"Go Allelujah! Show that loud mouth Ali who's the real boss in this town!" Darren bellowed as he pumps his fist into the air. This causes several members of the audience to turn their heads to him in a mixture of bewilderment and annoyance.

"Will you quiet down?! You're embarrassing us!" Sheena chided Darren as she felt an overwhelming amount of embarrassment she had gotten.

"Allelujah…" Marie uttered nervously as she clasps her hands together.

The announcer turns to the judges who nod their heads to him. The announcer looks back at the spectators and yelled, _"And now, without further ado, the final match of the tournament…Ali al-Saachez…versus…Allelujah Haptism!"_

The spectators cheer and clap their hands as the announcer leaves the mat. From the left side, Ali al-Saachez enters the mat with a grin on his face. He waves his hand at the audience while carrying the championship belt over his shoulder. Not all the spectators are cheering for him though as Natsu, Wendy and Happy boo loudly at him while Marie, Darren, Erza, Gray, Lucy, Carla, Yuri, Sheena and Brave Vesperia remain silent.

When Ali arrived at the center of the mat, Allelujah enters the fighting area as well from the right side. As he walked, he takes a deep breath and waves his hand at the audience.

As the spectators cheered for Allelujah, Marie sighs, closes her eyes and lowers her head as she clasps her hands together. "Stay strong…Allelujah…"

"Please let him win, please!" Karol shook nervously and places his hands over his eyes. When Judith sees this, she grabs her leader's wrists and removes his hands from his face.

"Come on boss, don't lose yourself now." Judith said firmly to him.

"I can't watch!" Karol wailed as he looks back at Allelujah and Ali at the fighting mat.

Meanwhile, an official walks over to Ali. Ali holds up his championship belt and grins as he shows it to the spectators. He turns to the official and surrenders his belt to him. As the official leaves the area with the belt, Ali looks back at Allelujah, who is glaring coldly at him.

" _Oh, what's wrong?"_ Ali sneered as he holds up his hands. _"Are you angry at me because of what I said earlier?"_

" _No."_ Allelujah replied flatly. _"I'm angry at you because you need to learn your place."_

Ali widens his eyes in shock, completely dumbfounded by Allelujah's response. Shortly after, his look of pure shock distorts into a twisted grimace. His fists shook uncontrollably as he felt fire burning inside his head and chest.

" _I'll show you who isn't at his place!"_ Ali bellowed, jabbing his finger at his opponent.

" _Fighters! Prepare yourselves!"_ The announcer said.

Ali snarled as he gets into his fighting stance.

" _3…"_

Allelujah takes another deep breath before calmly getting into his own battle stance.

" _2…"_

"GO ALLELUJAH!" Lucy and Natsu both shouted in unison.

" _1…"_

"Kick his ass, Allelujah." Darren muttered as he narrows his eyes.

" _GO!"_

Marie lifts her head up and shouted at her husband, "GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT!"

Ali and Allelujah both yell as they charge at each other. They clash their blade and claw against each other and the spectators erupted with yells and cheers.

" _It doesn't matter if you had fought against Alvarez and the Abbey! Your time as a fighter has passed! Now I'm the champion of the Azadistani people!"_ Ali shouted directly at his opponent's face with his eyes wide and his teeth taking the form of a wide sadistic grin.

Allelujah yells in rage as he throws a punch into Ali's gut. As Ali groans and lowers his defense, Allelujah pushes his blade away with his claw. He swings his claw vertically downwards, slamming it on top of Ali's helmet. As Ali bends over, Allelujah lifts his knee up and kicks him directly into his visor, sending him stumbling backwards. The spectators cheered louder.

"GOOD JOB ALLELUJAH!" Erza shouted as she claps her hands. Ali growls as he regains his balance and looks back at Allelujah.

" _You're wrong! A true champion of the people never shows arrogance or disrespect to those who helped us become who we are!"_ Allelujah yells back at Ali.

Ali yells as he charges at his opponent again. He swings his right blade diagonally at Allelujah, who dodges it by sliding his feet backwards. But as Ali moves forward, he quickly swings his left blade horizontally, successfully hitting him at the side of his torso.

As Allelujah bends to the side in pain, Ali swings his right fist diagonally and delivers an uppercut to the bottom of his opponent's jaw. Allelujah finds himself stumbling backwards, but Ali grabs him by his shoulders and kicks him in the abdomen with his knee several times. He finishes it off by swinging his left fist horizontally and punching Allelujah at the right side of his helmet, sending him turning around and falling to the floor on his face. Marie, Darren and his friends gasp.

"Get up Allelujah!" Darren shouted in horror.

"Don't let that jerk overpower ya!" Natsu added.

Allelujah tries to get up but Ali runs over to his side. _"Oh no, you ain't!"_ He shouted as he kicks Allelujah at the bottom of his jaw, sending him rolling over the floor and landing on his back.

Ali grins as he found his opportunity. He hastily walks over and stomps his foot on Allelujah's torso, causing one of the judges to begin counting.

"1…2…" Before the judge could count to three, Allelujah lifts his head back up and grabs Ali by his ankle.

"What the-" Ali gets cut off when Allelujah rolls over and sends his opponent tripping over his armor. The judge ceases his counting and Ali finds himself falling to the ground on his face.

The spectators cheered again and Marie, Darren and his friends smile in relief, especially Karol who exhaled as he throws his head back and lets his arms hang limply at his sides.

"Get him, Allelujah!" Gray yelled.

Both Allelujah and Ali quickly get back up. They proceed to deliver several punches at each other. Whenever one of them throws a punch at the other, the opponent quickly blocks the punch with his blade or gauntlets.

Eventually, Allelujah successfully lands a punch Ali across his face. Ali retaliates by delivering a powerful punch to Allelujah's abdomen with his left fist. As Allelujah bends over, Ali swings his other fist down on the back of his opponent's head. Ali swings his left fist again and punches Allelujah at the visor of his helmet. Allelujah yells in pain as he stumbles backward.

With a cruel laugh, Ali charges at Allelujah and throws several punches across his face. He finished by lifting his leg up and delivers a powerful kick to his chest, sending him sprawling through the mat.

"Allelujah!" Marie screamed in horror. Thankfully, Allelujah's head miss the edge of the mat by an inch when he came to a halt.

Ali laughs again as he nonchalantly walks over to him. _"Face it."_ Ali sneered as he shrugs his shoulders. _"You failed to protect our city because you are weak! You were never strong! That's why you hide yourself in an oversized armor!"_

Allelujah grits his teeth and closes his eyes as he lies on the ground. Is this it? Has his opponent won? Is this the end of his journey of regaining his pride and honor? Has he failed everyone who believes in him, especially Darren and Marie?

"ALLELUJAH!"

Allelujah gasps as his eyes snap open. He turns his head to the spectators and he could see his wife in the crowd, shouting at him with her brows furrowed.

"Please don't do this! Please don't give up! GET BACK UP AND FIGHT!" Marie screamed as she unsuccessfully tried to hold back her tears that are now rolling down her cheeks.

Allelujah stares wordlessly at his wife. As he sees the look of distress on Marie's face, he couldn't help but remember the day he returned home to his wife shortly after Azadistan's failed battle with the Abbey.

* * *

Allelujah walks slowly towards the entrance of his home. He slowly opens the door to find Marie sitting on the couch in the small living room. As he quietly stares at her, he sees her sitting there with her eyes closed and clasping her hands together.

When Marie opens her eyelids, she turns to the door and gasps. She stares at her husband in surprise and disbelief as she lowers her hands and slowly got up from the couch.

"Alle…lujah?" Marie uttered as she looks at her husband, whose face and arms are covered with bruises.

Tears form in his eyes as Allelujah managed to choke out, "M-Marie…"

Marie covers her mouth as tears pooled down from her eyes. She rushes over to her husband and they both gather themselves into a tight embrace. The two sob onto each other as tears pool down their cheeks like tiny rivers.

"Y-y-you're…you're back…" Marie whimpered as she cries on Allelujah's chest.

Allelujah grits his teeth as he tightens his embrace with his wife. "I-I-I'm sorry…I'm sorry I've failed…" He struggled to say as he cried on top of Marie's head.

Marie took a hard gulp and responded with a soft whisper, "Don't be…I'm just glad you're here…"

* * *

Allelujah can never forget the day Marie was so overwhelmed with joy over her husband coming back to her alive and well. He may have failed to defend his home, but at least they still had each other. That is when he realized that if he lose now, everything he had fought for…everything that Darren and Marie had put their heart and soul into…will be all for nothing.

Ali grins as he now stands above his opponent. _"You are nothing to me."_ He said confidently. Ali lifts his foot above Allelujah's chest and-

Suddenly, much to Ali's surprise, Allelujah swiftly grabs his foot. Allelujah grits his teeth and quivered with rage as he glares back at Ali.

" _Don't you dare…"_ Allelujah muttered before raising his voice in pure anger. _"DON'T YOU DARE INSULT ME!"_

Allelujah pushes Ali's foot away from him, causing his opponent to stumble backwards. Allelujah quickly gets back up and delivers a swift punch to Ali's gut, causing him to gasp in pain.

" _Don't you dare insult the brave and valiant men who risk their lives to defend our home!"_ Allelujah bellowed before swinging his right fist horizontally at the side of Ali's helmet. As Ali stumbles to the side, Allelujah grabs his neck by his claw. Ali stares at his opponent in terror as he lifts up in the air.

" _And most of all, don't you dare insult the people who despite their flaws, still gave their all!"_ With his final cry of rage, Allelujah tosses Ali to his right and sends him sprawling through the ground. When he came to a halt, Ali lifts his head up and growled. He gets back up on his feet and charges towards Allelujah.

" _I won't let you defeat me!"_ Ali shouted as he lets loose a series of diagonal swings at Allelujah with his blades. Allelujah backs away from every strike Ali throws at him. When Allelujah turns his head for a moment to find himself nearing the edge of the mat, Ali yells as he clenches his fist and delivers a punch to his opponent's chest _, "GET OUT!"_

However, when Allelujah turns back to Ali, he deflects his opponent's fist with his right hand. Ali gasped in shock for a brief moment before Allelujah swings his left fist diagonally and delivers an uppercut to his jaw. Allelujah lets out a ferocious yell as he moves forward and proceeds to deliver a series of punches to Ali's face and abdomen.

"Come on Allelujah, come on!" Karol said as he watches the fight with his eyes wide and his fists clenched tightly.

"Fight back!" Yuri and Estelle both shouted.

"You can do it, Allelujah!" Natsu yelled.

"Come on!" Lucy shouted.

"Aye!" Happy added.

"Fight harder!" Erza cried.

"Don't stop now!" Alicia shouted.

"Give him all you got!" Judith cried.

"Finish him off!" Darren bellowed.

"We know you can win!" Sheena yelled.

"Go Allelujah!" Wendy, Gray and Carla all yelled in unison.

"You can do this…ALLELUJAH!" Marie screamed as her tears continue flowing down her cheeks.

After Allelujah delivers another punch across Ali's face, the undisputed champion snarls as he looks back at his opponent. There is no way he is going to let this failure take away his title.

" _ENOUGH!"_ Ali shouted as he retaliates by swinging his right blade diagonally at Allelujah. The blade slashes across from the bottom left side of his torso armor to the top of his right shoulder pad. Marie, Darren and the others gasped in shock.

Ali grins malevolently at his successful strike. But shortly after, his moment of triumph instantly vanished as much to Ali's surprise, Allelujah glares back at him without showing any signs of pain.

" _Not this time."_ Allelujah said flatly. Before Ali could react, Allelujah bends over and collides his head against his gut. Allelujah firmly grasps the sides of his opponent's torso and Ali finds himself being pushed to the other side of the mat. No matter how hard Ali tried to firmly place his feet on the ground, he doesn't have the strength to stop or slow down his opponent. He began desperately slamming his fists onto Allelujah's back, but his opponent wouldn't falter.

When Ali turns his head and realizes that he is nearing the edge, he looks back at his opponent and bellowed, _"STOP IT!"_ He raises his fists into the air and brings them down onto Allelujah's back like a pair of sledgehammers.

He didn't expect however that Allelujah would suddenly stop at his tracks and responds to his attack by throwing himself back up and deflects both of Ali's fists by swinging his right arm.

Allelujah yells one last time as he grabs Ali's right arm with his claw. As he turns around in a circle, he lifts Ali up from the ground and swings him through the air as if he was a rag doll. When Allelujah faces back to the front, he tosses his opponent over his shoulder and slams him onto the ground and over the edge of the mat.

As Allelujah breathes heavily, Ali could only stare blankly at the sky as he lies on the ground, coming to realize that he is out of the mat.

When the judge rings the bell, the spectators erupted with yells, cheers and applause. A huge smile takes form on Allelujah's face as he releases Ali's arm. He turns to the crowd and sees every member of the audience cheering for him.

" _HERE IS YOUR WINNER…"_ The announcer began exclaiming, unable to contain his enthusiasm. _"AND YOUR NEW QITAL DIRE CHAMPION…ALLELUJAH HAPTISM!"_ He extends his hand out to Allelujah with wide eyes and a huge smile on his face.

"HE DID IT! HE WON!" Lucy squealed excitedly as she claps her hands and jumps up and down in joy.

"YEEEEESSSSSS!" Darren yelled as he and Alicia pump their fists into the air.

"HE DID IT!" Alicia shouted as well with a huge smile on her face.

"He did it…" Marie uttered as a smile slowly appears on her face. "My husband has won!"

"YAAAAAAAAY!" Happy and Carla both squealed as they wave their arms and legs in the air happily.

"Alright Allelujah!" Sheena cried happily as she, Erza, Wendy, Estelle, Judith and Yuri clap their hands.

"Well done, Allelujah!" Erza shouted with a wide smile.

"Good job!" Judith cried.

"You deserve it!" Yuri yelled.

"Congratulations!" Estelle added.

"ALRIGHT!" Natsu shouted with joy as he and Gray pump their fists into the air.

"YEAH!" Gray yelled ecstatically. But soon, both boys realized something. They turn their heads and see their free arms wrapped around their upper backs and their hands placed on each other's shoulders. Natsu and Gray glare at each other as they remove their arms and place their hands on the sides of their hips. They turn away from each other and remain silent as if nothing had happened between them.

As Wendy claps her hands, Karol cried with his arms spread out and his eyes pooled with tears of joy, "He won! I can't believe it!" Much to Wendy's surprise, Karol turns and wraps his arms around her, gathering her into a tight embrace and began sobbing on her shoulder.

Wendy laughed as she felt her cheeks blushing. "I know! I'm so happy too!" She said as she hugs Karol and pats on his back.

Marie smiled as tears continue flowing down her cheeks. She began clapping her hands and shouted with joy, "You did it Allelujah! YOU DID IT!"

Allelujah removes his helmet and smiles back at his wife. He gave her a solemn nod before turning back to the spectators and waves his arm at them, embracing his euphoric moment of victory and triumph.

However, as Allelujah is enjoying the celebration, Ali slowly got up from the ground as he removes his helmet and tosses it to the side.

" _No…"_ Ali quivered with rage as his fists shook uncontrollably. _"It can't end like this…"_

Ali whirled about and charges at Allelujah from behind as he pulls back his right arm, causing the spectators to gasp in horror and the entire area fell silent. Allelujah, noticing the horrified looks on their faces, turns and sees Ali preparing to attack him.

" _You're not a winner! YOU'RE NOTHING!"_ Ali roared.

When Ali is near Allelujah, he swings his right fist directly at his face. But before he could land his punch on him, Salem charges over to Ali and throws a punch at his left cheek, sending the defeated fighter rolling over the mat. When he lands on his back, Ali snaps his eyes open and lifts his head up. He wipes the left side of his lips with his hand and widens his eyes in horror as he looks at the blood on his fingers. Ali turns his head and sees Salem, Rafi, Mahdi, Fawaz, Nazrul and Reza glaring coldly at him as they place themselves in front of Allelujah.

" _Stay away from our champion."_ Salem said to Ali flatly.

Ali watched in shock and bewilderment as the six competitors turn around to Allelujah. They smiled as Rafi grabs Allelujah's hand and lifts it into the air, causing the spectators to cheer and applaud again.

"GO ALLELUJAH!" Natsu shouted ecstatically.

"YEAH!" Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Erza, Happy and Carla cheered for Allelujah again.

Allelujah turned as the official walks over to him with the championship belt over his shoulder. The two bow their heads to each other before the official hands Allelujah the belt. Allelujah removes his claw from his left gauntlet, setting it aside. He takes the belt, turns back to the spectators and lifts it up into the air with both hands. The spectators cheered louder in response.

"Allelujah!"

Allelujah lowers his belt and turns to his left to see Marie standing at the edge of the mat. A wide smile plasters across Marie's face as she stood there with tears welling up in her eyes. "You did it!" She said to him.

Allelujah smiles back at his wife as fresh tears are also forming in his own eyes. "We did it." He replied.

Marie rushes over to her husband and wraps her arms around him. Allelujah places his belt over his right shoulder and hugs his wife back for a brief moment as tears roll down their cheeks. After backing away from his wife, Allelujah bends his knees and holds up his left arm behind Marie's lower back, gesturing her to sit on it. Marie obliged and sets herself securely onto her husband's gauntlet. As Allelujah gets up, Marie hoots as he lifts her up and she burst out laughing as she finds herself up in the air while sitting on her husband's arm.

Marie leans forward and plants a kiss on Allelujah's forehead. The couple turns to the spectators and the crowd cheers again as Allelujah and Marie wave their hands at them.

As he and his friends watch and continue clapping their hands, a wide smile plasters across Darren's face, gazing blissfully at Allelujah as he enjoys his moment of triumph with his wife.

"You did it, Allelujah. I'm proud of you." He murmured.

* * *

The next day, after having their breakfast which Marie had cooked for them one last time, Darren and his friends stood outside of the boundaries of the campsite and bid farewell to Marie and Allelujah. The latter has a huge smile on his face as he carries his championship belt over his left shoulder. It is the happiest that Marie, Darren and his friends had ever seen of him.

"Thank you very much for the hospitality you had provided for the last few days." Lucy said as she and the others bow their heads to Marie and Allelujah.

"And thank you as well for everything you have done for us." Marie replied as she and Allelujah bow back.

As everyone lift their heads back up, Darren said to the couple, "Take good care of each other. You're lucky to have each other as your spouses."

"And I am lucky enough to have met and worked with you, Darren." Allelujah said to Darren. "All of you are welcome here anytime, because you will always find a friend in Azadistan."

Darren smiled at Allelujah. He walks up to his friend and they wrap their arms around each other in a warm embrace. After breaking away from their hug, Darren gave a pat on Allelujah's shoulder.

"Stay strong, and never forget what you're truly capable of." Darren said encouragingly.

"I don't think I will." Allelujah smirked and he pats Darren's shoulder as well. Darren chuckled in response. As he turns around, Darren waves his hand goodbye to him and Marie.

"Farewell, guys." Darren said.

"Goodbye!" Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia, Yuri and Sheena all said in unison as they turn and wave goodbye to the couple as well.

"See you!" Marie said happily as she and Allelujah wave back at them.

"Take care, my friends." Allelujah added.

As everyone walks away from the camp, Darren closes his eyes as he stuffs his hands into his pockets. "Okay, I know some of you are going to berate me for delaying our journey to Mizuho, but I really wanted to help someone in his time of need." He said.

When he didn't get a response for a few seconds, Darren reopens his eyes. He turns around and sees his friends standing behind and smiling at him.

"Guys?" Darren said.

"Nope. We're not angry at all." Sheena said.

"It's nice of you to spend the last few days helping and training Allelujah. Now, he is a stronger and more confident man than ever before, thanks to you." Erza said as she walks over and places her hand on Darren's right shoulder.

"I gotta admit, you were pretty awesome being his trainer." Yuri commented with a smirk as Natsu walks up to Darren.

"And that's why we are proud to have you with us!" Natsu said with a wide grin as he places his hand on Darren's left shoulder. Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Alicia, Karol, Judith and Estelle all nod their heads in agreement.

"Really? You guys think so?" Darren said incredulously as he looks at his friends.

"Yup." Alicia nods her head as she smiles at Darren. "Allelujah isn't the only person who should be reminded of what he's truly capable of. You too."

A warm smile appears on Darren's face as he looks back at Alicia. "Thank you." He replied softly. Alicia giggled in response.

Darren turns his head to Natsu and asked, "So Natsu, which way is it to Mizuho?"

"Umm…" Natsu responded. The others gasped as they watched Natsu desperately searching through his clothes for the map in horror.

"Natsu!" Erza cried. "Don't tell me you lost-"

"Oh, it's here!" Natsu said as he takes out the map from his right pocket and laughed. The others sigh heavily in relief as Natsu unfolds the map. He takes a good look at the map for a while and replied, "Mizuho is northwest from where we're currently at."

"Then let's get going!" Karol ordered everyone.

"Alright!" Natsu responded with a grin as he folds his map. As everyone continue their journey, Lucy walks up to him and snatches the map from his hand, much to his surprise.

"This time, I'll hold onto the map, thank you." Lucy said flatly and she puts the map into her pocket.

"Fine." Natsu replied as he turns around and places his hands behind his head.

Marie laughed cheerfully as she and her husband watch their friends walk away from the camp. "They are such a wonderful group of light-hearted people, aren't they?" Marie asked as she turns to Allelujah.

Allelujah glances at Marie in confusion for moment before looking up and rubbing his chin to ponder. A few moments, he nods his head as a smile appears on his face. "Aye!"

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Ushindeshi, kristenmelisa52, Airforce316, Nalalii for reviewing, favoriting and following and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks everyone!**


	15. Grievances, Part 1

_**Grievances, Part 1**_

Inside his office room, Alexei is sitting behind his wooden desk doing his paperwork. That is until he heard a knock on the door. Alexei closes the file and stood up from his chair before calling out to the people behind the door.

"Come in." He announced. The door opens and both Mala Makra and Eleanor Hume enter their superior's room. After Eleanor closes the door behind her, she and Mala stand straight and salute to the commandant.

"Captain Mala Makra, reporting for duty, sir." Mala said.

"Lieutenant Eleanor Hume, reporting for duty, Commandant Alexei." Eleanor said.

"At ease." Alexei said flatly. The two praetors lower their hands. "I called you here because I have a mission for the both of you."

"What are your orders, sir?" Eleanor asked with her eyes furrowed.

"I'm assigning the two of you to Loegres. According to Scout Squad 34, they say that the representatives of Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia who thwarted our invasion of Hargeon are heading towards Port Zekson."

"Port Zekson? That city is just twenty-five miles away from Loegres, right?" Eleanor asked.

"Correct." Mala Makra said to Eleanor. "We would have conquered both cities during our conquest, if it weren't for the Rune Knights who manage to reach Port Zekson first before we do. It makes sense that our enemy would now take refuge in that city."

"And what do they hope to achieve going there? Are they planning to invade Loegres just like what they did back at Hargeon?" Eleanor asked as she clenches her fists.

"That is for you and Captain Makra to find out." Alexei replied. Eleanor lowers her head and grimaced. "Once you arrive at Loegres, you will be joined by Captain Nullpudding where he will explain to you more about our counterattack against the Rune Knights stationed at Port Zekson. Dismissed."

* * *

Mala and Eleanor walk down the hallway of the Abbey headquarters, the latter still kept a scowl on her face. Mala turns to the young woman and said, "Eleanor Hume, I know you are eager to avenge the now deceased Velvet Crowe, but you will still follow your superiors' orders instead of acting rashly in battle."

"I know, Captain Makra. But you don't understand. I looked up to Lieutenant Velvet Crowe. She showed care and understanding to me and the other praetors despite her cold demeanor, and yet the accursed guilds Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia killed her mercilessly. The guilds are just as malicious and arrogant as the Magic Council." Eleanor said icily as they keep walking. "That is why I swore upon my promotion to Lieutenant that I will avenge Lieutenant Crowe and make Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia pay by any means necessary."

"Don't let your fury cloud your judgment too much, Eleanor Hume. This is what caused Velvet's downfall as well." Mala said flatly. Eleanor turns her head and glares at him.

"You don't seem concerned over Lieutenant Crowe's…" Eleanor paused for a moment to take a gulp and maintain her composure. "Lieutenant Crowe's death."

"Soldiers aren't supposed to be overwhelmed by emotion. That is how we stay vigilant and keep fighting until our dying breath." Mala replied.

"But even still, surely you have some shock over the death of a subordinate whom you fought alongside with!" Eleanor cried.

"Velvet and I were never friends. In fact, now that she is gone, there will be less distractions and more motivation for us to fight harder." Mala responded.

Eleanor growls through her gritted teeth before turning back to her front. "You just don't understand the bond between comrades."

"And I'll never have to." Mala said coldly.

* * *

Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia, Yuri, Darren and Sheena arrived at Port Zekson earlier this morning and are currently resting in the city's inn. Port Zekson is a small city located beside the Spiegel River, which is what Team Natsu and the others need to cross to continue their journey to Mizuho. However, Yuri warned everyone that only twenty five miles away from Port Zekson is their sister city known as Loegres which fell into Abbey occupation shortly after Darren's arrival to Earth Land. Knowing that they will need to think of a strategy to pass through the Abbey's forces and the fact that they can't continue their journey on foot for the time being due to the possibility of patrolling praetors in the area beyond Port Zekson, Team Natsu and the others decided to stay in the city for now. However, as soon as they arrive at the small city, they immediately came across their biggest gripe.

"Man, this town seriously reeks of fish!" Lucy cried as she, Wendy and Sheena cover their noses.

"Yeah, I don't know how long I can control my stomach before I eventually throw up." Sheena added as she uses one hand to clutch her stomach.

"I like it." Happy said with a dumb smile.

"You would." Carla muttered as she stood next to him.

Team Natsu and the others are currently standing around the inn's lower floor. They look around and notice the grim and miserable looks on everyone's faces as they sit around the inn's lounge and dining tables. Most of them have their mouths covered with disposable masks.

"Looks like we aren't the only ones who think the smell of this town is awful." Estelle said.

"We really do apologize for that." One of the inn's employees said apologetically as she walks up to them. "Our city's economy heavily relies on fish we catch at the Spiegel River every day. Or used to, since the dam that operates the river had been closed for two months now. Because of that, the water level of the river is decreasing and becoming polluted. Our fishermen aren't allowed to leave the city as well because our sister city, Loegres, where the dam is located, is under Abbey control."

"Why am I not surprised that the Abbey is the cause of all this misery?" Gray said as he folds his arms.

' _Closed for two months? That means I've been in this world for two months now.'_ Darren thought to himself somberly.

"Port Zekson would have fallen to the Abbey's hands as well if it weren't for the Rune Knights. We were happy and relieved at first, until the Abbey decided to pressure us by closing the dam, thus causing the current state of the river which greatly affects our economy and livelihood. We aren't allowed to leave the city as well due to reports from the Rune Knights that the Abbey's soldiers are kidnapping civilians across Earth Land. And because we can't leave by land and sea, all the fish we caught ended up being left here, and eventually their stench polluted the entire city." The employee explained.

The members of Team Natsu turn to each other. They frown and nod their heads solemnly, knowing what they had to do to not only continue their journey to Mizuho, but to also help the townspeople of Port Zekson regain their livelihood. Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Erza, Happy and Carla turn back to the employee.

"Don't worry, ma'am. In case you don't know, we are members of the guild known as Fairy Tail, and we're going to help you chase the Abbey out of Loegres and give you all back your freedom." Natsu said to the employee.

"Aye!" Karol suddenly spoke up. The employee turns to the boy as he jabs his thumb onto his chest. "And we're Brave Vesperia! We're going to help your city as well! By um…working alongside Fairy Tail!" Karol finishes by flashing a grin at the employee. Judith, Alicia and Estelle nod their heads as they stood behind him.

"If all of you are going up against the Abbey, I suggest going to the city hall and speak with our Mayor and the person in charge of the Rune Knights stationed here first." The employee suggested.

* * *

Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia, Darren, Sheena and Yuri walk through the city of Port Zekson, all of them covering their noses and mouths as they make their way to the city hall. When they arrive at the city square, they look around and see the merchants looking miserable as they stood behind their stalls while wearing disposable masks. Because of the stench and the town being overloaded with fish, very little people are walking around the town buying any food and supplies. Most of them would rather stay inside their homes to avoid the awful stench that fills up the city. Even the Rune Knights are sulking as they patrol the area.

"Man, this is terrible." Natsu remarked.

"We better help the town take care of this problem quick." Alicia added.

"Um, where's Happy?" Wendy asked as she and Carla look around. But soon enough, they spotted Happy standing in front of a nearby stall.

"Excuse me sir? How much is a single fish?" Happy asked the merchant operating the stall.

"You know what? Keep your money and just take them! I'm sick of seeing my baskets piled up with fish for the last two months!" The merchant cried at the exceed.

"Really? Alright!" Happy squealed as he immediately grabs a fish from a basket. Team Natsu and the others gasped and widen their eyes in horror, and they are too late to do anything before Happy quickly sinks his teeth onto the fish.

Suddenly, Happy's eyes nearly bulged out from their sockets and the color of his skin drained as he felt the awful taste of the rotten fish that he had took a bite out of. Immediately, Happy tosses the fish aside and flies off to the city's fountain located in the middle of the square.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK A FISH THAT HAS BEEN OUT IN THE SUN FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS IS GOING TO TASTE LIKE, YOU MORON?!" Carla shouted to Happy who is hastily rinsing his tongue and mouth with the water from the fountain.

"Hey Mayor! How much longer do we have to deal with this?!"

When they heard someone yelling, Team Natsu and the others immediately turn their heads and see two men yelling at an old man who is standing in front of the entrance to a rather large white building.

"Men, please. I already told you two before." The mayor said to them pleadingly. "The Rune Knights are-"

"Are NOT doing anything! Because of them, we are trapped inside here in this stinking town!" One man who is bald snapped at the mayor.

"We're sick and tired of catching and eating fish to get by every day and we can't even go outside and hunt for other animals!" The other man who has short black hair added.

"That's enough!" A woman barked at them as she, accompanied by three other Rune Knights, walks over to them. The woman has blonde hair and green eyes. She is dressed in a blue beret, a blue dress with a large white vertical stripe in the middle of it, blue long sleeves held by two large metal armbands with red strings, white gloves, long black stockings, and blue and white boots with yellow highlights. "How many times do I have to remind you two to stop harassing your mayor who is only doing his job?"

"And who the heck do you think you are to boss us around?" The bald man replied angrily at the woman. "You don't even belong here in the first place!"

"Yeah. You may be a Rune Knight, but if you and the Magic Council are so good, you would have chased the Abbey out of Loegres by now!" The black-haired man added.

"Now our town reeks of dead fish for the last two months because of you!" The bald man yelled at the woman as he points his finger accusingly at her. The two men gave cold glares to the woman and her knights before they turn and walk off.

"Are you alright?" The woman asked the mayor.

"I'm fine but admittedly, even I'm starting to lose my patience over this situation." The mayor said, frowning at her. "I don't know how much longer I can deal with this." The mayor turns around and walks back into the building.

The woman frowns and sighs sadly while one of the knights behind her walks over and places her hand on her shoulder. The knight has chin-length chestnut brown hair, hazel eyes and wears a black beret, a black uniform dress, black and orange gloves, black stockings and orange boots. Her most distinguishable features of her appearance though are that she has squirrel-like ears and a large bushy tail.

"Don't let them get to ya, Noel." The brown-haired woman said to the blonde.

"What am I supposed to do, Makoto?" Noel said sadly as she lowers her head and places her hands on the sides of her hip.

"That woman…she is a demihuman." Judith said as she stares at the brown-haired woman now as known as Makoto.

"Demihuman?" Darren asked curiously.

"Aye. Demihumans are a sub-race of us humans, except they have features that we normal humans don't have. Like Judith here and one of Erza's friends named Millianna." Natsu explained. He turns his head away for a moment and scratches the back of his head as he whispered to himself, "Gee, I hope I didn't sound racist with that explanation."

"No offense taken." Judith replied to Natsu. The pink-haired mage gasped in response.

"Excuse me. Are you the Rune Knight in charge of this town?" Erza asked as she and Karol approach Noel and the brown-haired girl.

Noel groans before she and her friend turn to Erza. "Yes, and if you are here to express your grievances like every person in this city, I already told you that we are trying everything we can to deal with the Abbey. We just hadn't received any orders from our superiors at the capital yet on how to handle the situation at Loegres." She responded.

"Well, we can't stay in this city for too long and we desperately need to cross the Spiegel River, so why don't you let us handle the Abbey stationed in Loegres for you?" Erza suggested.

Makoto gasped in realization. "Noel! I know who this woman is now! It's Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail!" She said to her friend.

"What? THE Erza Scarlet at the Grand Magic Games two years ago?!" Noel's eyes widen in astonishment.

"Um, yeah. That's…me." Erza said, staring back at the two women in confusion.

Makoto squealed as she clasps her hands together. She rushes over to Erza and cried enthusiastically right in front of her face, "I'm such a big fan of you after watching you at the tournament back then! You are so awesome fighting Kagura of Mermaid Heel, Minerva of Sabretooth and even a hundred monsters all by yourself!"

"T-t-thanks." Erza managed to reply as she nervously looks back at Makoto who continues staring straight into her eyes with glee.

Makoto turns her head and gasp upon seeing the other members of Team Natsu. "And those guys must be Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Lucy Heartfilia and Wendy Marvell!" She cried while pointing her finger at each of them as she announces their name.

"Y-yup, that's us." Wendy said as she, Natsu, Lucy and Gray smile back at her.

Makoto sighs blissfully as she throws her head back and lets her arms hang limply at her sides. "I don't what else to say…I'm on ecstasy right now." She said as Erza inches away from her.

Natsu snickered as he places his hands at the sides of his hip. "Who knew we even have fans within the Magic Council, huh?" He said.

"I say she is embarrassing herself, especially when she is in uniform." Alicia arches an eyebrow at the demihuman.

Noel coughed, causing Makoto to stand straight and regain her composure. "Yes, as you can see, my friend is a big fan of your guild and she is clearly very happy to see you all here." Noel said while Makoto nods her head frantically with a goofy smile. "And yes, we are very fortunate to have you helping us deal with the Abbey."

"And we're helping out too!" Karol exclaimed. "I'm Karol Capel!" He introduced himself to Noel and Makoto before gesturing to Alicia, Estelle and Judith. "And along with my friends, we are the guild known as Brave Vesperia!"

Noel and Makoto remain silent as they stare at the boy. "What's that?" Makoto commented as she stares at him in confusion. Karol hangs his head and his arms hang limply at his sides as he felt disheartened by her response.

"They don't know us…" Karol whimpered.

Erza sighs heavily and turns back to the two women. "They are friends of ours, and have been very helpful to us throughout our journey." She said.

"That's nice to know. I guess the more the merrier." Makoto smiled at Erza.

"So how exactly are we going to deal with the Abbey?" Lucy asked as she, Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Happy, Carla and Darren walk over to Erza, Noel and Makoto.

"There are several boats in the pier. We can use one of them to sail through the river and sneak our way towards the pier at Loegres." Noel explained as she walks over to Makoto's side. "Then once we are in the city, we gotta make our way to the dam, find the control room and open it up. That will raise the water level and the river will be flowing freely again."

"We? Does this mean you are coming along?" Darren asked Noel.

"Yes." Noel nods her head somberly. "Unfortunately, those two men were right. We are partly responsible for the current situation that the people of this city are in right now." She narrows her eyes and places her hand on her chest. "And as the person in charge of the Rune Knights stationed in Port Zekson, it is my duty to make things right."

"Then let's work together to help the people of this city gain back their freedom." Erza said to Noel solemnly.

"Great. One of our knights here will drive the boat towards Loegres for all of us." Noel said as she gestures to one of her knights standing behind her and Makoto. She is a woman dressed in a black cape with a black hood that conceals her eyes, a purple long-sleeved dress, black gloves and black high-heel shoes.

"I'll provide whatever help I can." The hooded woman nods her head to her superiors and Team Natsu.

"I'll come along with you guys." Makoto smiled as she places her fists at the sides of her hip. "I'm not only her second-in-command, but when it comes to covert missions like this; I'm the right person for the job. Besides…" She grins playfully as she goes up to Erza and places her hand on her shoulder. "I really want to know more about you along the way, Titania."

"Uh-huh, yeah. T-that sounds great." Erza replied uneasily.

"But madams," The fourth Rune Knight interrupted, speaking up to Noel and Makoto. "If the both of you are going with them, who will take care of the city? After what happened between the mayor and those two men, it's highly likely something similar will happen again during your absence."

Everyone was silent for a moment before Erza turns to Gray, Wendy and Carla. "Gray, Wendy, Carla, will you stay here and take care of the city while we're gone?" She asked.

"Sure thing, Erza." Wendy said as she, Carla and Gray nod their heads.

"You can count on us." Gray added.

"I'll stay here too. There may be people who have fallen ill from the stench. So I'll attend to them." Estelle said to Karol.

"Very well then." Karol nods his head in agreement.

"I'll stay as well." Yuri smirked as he cracks his knuckles. "I've dealt with people who act like those two guys many times before. If any sort of violence breaks out here, I'll personally deal with it."

"Thanks Yuri." Darren smirked as he nods his head to him.

"Then I guess the ones who will be taking on this mission are you, me, Natsu, Happy, Lucy, Karol, Alicia and Judith." Darren said to Erza.

"That's right." Erza nods her head to Darren. Natsu, Happy, Lucy, Karol, Alicia and Judith nodded as well.

Sheena, who stood beside Yuri, narrows her eyes at them before she suddenly stomps her foot and yells at them, "Hey! Aren't you forgetting someone?!"

"Sheena?" Darren said puzzled as Sheena strides over to them.

"I wish to come too! I don't want to stay put and do nothing while you guys are risking your lives infiltrating an enemy base." Sheena said as she folds her arms.

Darren smiled at her and said, "Very well then, you can come along with us."

"Welcome aboard, Sheena." Lucy said, nodding her head to her. Sheena nods back to her before turning her head away from the others and frown.

"Thank you so much for all of your help." Noel said before chuckling. "But that reminds me, we haven't even introduced ourselves yet."

"I'm Lieutenant Makoto Nanaya! Nice to meetcha!" Makoto grins as she extends her hand out to Erza.

"Nice to meet you too." Erza shakes her hand. "I guess."

After Makoto removes her hand, it is Noel's turn to extend her hand out to Erza for a handshake. "And my name is Lieutenant Noel Vermillion." Noel said.

Darren and the members of Team Natsu gasp in surprise. "Vermillion?!" They cried in unison.

"Huh?" Noel stares at them blankly. Darren and Team Natsu look at each other for a moment before turning back to her.

"Is there any chance that you are related to someone named…Mavis Vermillion?" Natsu asked.

Noel frowns at them in confusion. "No, I don't even know who she is, besides the fact that we happen to have the same last name." She shakes her head in response.

"Oh…" Natsu said sadly as he, his teammates and Darren sigh inwardly.

"Is there something I should know?" Noel asked.

"Never mind. It's okay." Erza smiled reassuringly as she shakes her head. She grabs Noel's hand and shakes it. "Nice to meet you, Noel Vermillion."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Ushindeshi and AquaBluey for reviewing, Taiski for favoriting and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story! Thanks everyone! It's great to be back!**


	16. Grievances, Part 2

_**Grievances, Part 2**_

Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Happy, Darren, Karol, Judith, Alicia, Sheena, Noel and Makoto sail through the Spiegel River on a small fishing boat driven by the hooded Rune Knight. While the hooded knight sat at the back controlling the motor engine, the others sat at both sides of the boat and looking to the front as they sail closer to their destination.

As Natsu sat at the front of the boat, the Fire Dragon Slayer turns to the river, leans forward and gags uncontrollably. Lucy and Happy rub their hands on Natsu's back to comfort him while the others cringe as they watch them silently.

"Hang in there, Natsu. We're almost there." Happy said to his friend in concern.

"Yeah, and especially since this is a covert mission, we need to be as quiet as possible!" Lucy chided softly to Natsu. After letting out the contents, Natsu looks back at Lucy with his face distorted with pain and misery.

"I'm sorry Lucy. No matter how long since we've been travelling together, I can never get used to transportation." Natsu groaned.

Lucy sighed heavily. "You think by now, you would get used to this. Very well, if you can stop puking and remain quiet for the rest of the journey, the faster we can finish the mission and return back to Port Zekson and have as much food as you want for our reward."

"Really?" Natsu asked weakly.

"Yup." Lucy reassured him with a warm smile. Natsu sits back up straight and takes a deep breath.

"Very well then, I'll try." Natsu said with a solemn frown on his face and his clenched fists placed on his thighs.

"That's the spirit." Lucy grins at him.

"Wow, I'm amazed that's all it took to get him to stop feeling sick." Noel said in amusement.

"They really are close to each other." Sheena said to her.

"It's true. Natsu and Happy are the first Fairy Tail members whom Lucy personally meet after all, and they have remain close friends ever since." Erza explained.

"Yeah, close. But not too close if you know what I mean." Lucy said to the others, chuckling nervously as she twirls her fingers.

"You two also seem pretty capable in battle when fighting together." Alicia pointed out.

"I guess you can say that." Lucy smiled at her.

"Even though when Lucy first started out with these kinds of missions, Natsu usually had to save her when she is in dan-MPFH!" Happy gets cut off when Lucy swiftly places her hand over his mouth. Happy's voice is muffled under her hand while Lucy's cheeks blushed crimson.

"That is enough! No more words out of your mouth for the rest of this journey!" Lucy cried softly at the exceed before looking up at Natsu. "Natsu! Do something about your friend!" The Fire Dragon Slayer remains silent as he sat where he is, not moving a single muscle at all. "Well?!"

"Must…remain…quiet…" Natsu murmured as he barely moves the side of his lips. Lucy groans as she hangs her head.

Makoto sighs blissfully at Lucy and Natsu before turning to Noel and giving her a gentle nudge on the arm with her elbow, "This reminds me how close we are ever since we first met each other, eh Noel?"

"Yeah, kinda." Noel chuckled in response.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked the two knights.

"Well, Makoto and I first met and known each other at the Rune Knight Academy a year ago. We both studied together in the same class, but we didn't interact with each other initially during our first few days. But one day, when I arrived at the academy, I saw Makoto being bullied by other students just for being a demihuman." Noel explained.

"An overwhelming majority of the Rune Knights are humans after all, and after the Tartaros incident two years ago, a lot of humans across Earth Land distrust demihumans now." Makoto said grimly.

"That's true." Lucy said with a frown.

"It isn't fair that just because the members of Tartaros weren't humans doesn't mean other demihumans should be blame for what happened as well." Erza added.

Noel nods her head in agreement before she continued, "Makoto had never done anything wrong in the academy, so I can't just let the other students bully her all they want. So I stepped in and tell them to get lost."

Suddenly, Makoto wraps her arms around Noel and embraces her friend tightly. "I remembered that moment so well. How I was crying so much from all those mean comments said by those bullies and how badass you were when you stand up to them!" Makoto said melodramatically as tears roll down her cheeks like tiny rivers. Noel chuckled sheepishly as she turns her head away for a moment.

"Heheheh, yeah." Noel murmured as she pats Makoto's back to comfort her friend. She looks back at the other occupants of the boat and continued, "Anyways, both Makoto and I became friends ever since then and we both work really hard together to graduate from the academy and become proper knights."

"Standing up for people who are in need of help." Darren murmured as he looks down on the wooden floor of the boat for a moment. "That's great."

After releasing Noel and sitting up straight, Makoto wipes away her tears and explained to everyone, "Upon our graduation, we overheard that one of the top students in the academy, Captain Nolan Mathias, has formed his own commando squad known as the Faction. I was pretty envious over the idea, so I urge Noel that we should form a squad of our own, even though we are only lieutenants."

"Ah, a rivalry with the Faction, eh?" Darren asked, looking back up at Noel and Makoto with a small smirk.

"Sorta." Noel shrugged.

"Yup." Makoto abruptly said at the same time, pouting at Darren.

Noel turns to her friend and cried softly as she stares at her in bewilderment, "Makoto!"

"I admire the fact that you stood up for Makoto that day, even though she isn't a member of the same race as you. Thank you." Judith said to Noel, bowing her head to her with gratitude.

"You're welcome." Noel replied to Judith with her cheeks blushing while Makoto gave her a cheerful grin.

"You know, I've also been wondering, how did you become a member of Brave Vesperia in the first place, Judith?" Lucy asked Judith.

Judith frowns deeply as she lowers her head. Lucy's smile quickly turns into a worried frown before saying to her in concern, "I'm sorry. If you-"

"It's okay." Judith replied, looking back up at Lucy with a reassuring smile as she pushes a strand of hair away from her eyes. "But yeah, it's something I don't want to talk about right now."

"Well, how about we-" Sheena tried to speak and change the subject, but was interrupted by the hooded knight.

"I suggest we should all quiet down now." The hooded knight advised everyone present on the boat. "We are almost near the pier of Loegres."

Sheena groans before she and the others turn their heads back to the front of the boat and barely see a gigantic horizontal line of white walls in the distance. In the middle of the structure is a large pair of gray stone doors that had been shut. The currents of the river splashed against the walls as the water is unable to flow through the now occupied walled city.

"It's time." Makoto advised everyone. Everybody on the boat except the hooded knight quickly got out their blankets from underneath their seats and draped them over their heads.

"Alright, do not move a single muscle." Noel whispered to everyone. The others nod their heads to her before they lean forward and conceal themselves under the blankets. The hooded knight made sure her cape conceals her dress before approaching the pier.

On the pier, four praetors are chatting among each other while clinging onto their spears. They cut off their conversation when they hear the sound of a fishing boat approaching their location. The praetors look at each other suspiciously before walking over to the edge of the pier just as the boat came to a halt.

"Excuse me but who are you?" One of the praetors inquired the hooded knight.

"I'm a merchant. Sorry if I'm trespassing but I wish to continue my travels northwards." The hooded knight explained innocently before gesturing to the blankets in front of her. "As you can see, I'm trying to deliver my goods, and travelling through the Spiegel River is-"

"Completely prohibited. Show us your face and tell us where exactly are you heading or you will be annihilated." The praetor demanded as he and the other three point their spears threateningly at the hooded knight.

Unbeknownst to them, the hooded knight placed her arm underneath Noel's blanket and gave a four-finger gesture in front of her face, followed by swiping a finger in the air horizontally.

"Four enemies…all armed with spears." Noel whispered to the others.

"On it." Erza, Natsu and Happy all said in unison.

"Very well." The hooded knight replied to the praetors before she swiftly removes her arm from underneath the blanket and extends her hand out at them. She creates an orb of blue energy from her palm and fires at the praetor who questioned her. The blast hits him in the chest, sending him flying through the air and landing on the ground with a thud.

"We're under-AH!" Just as one of the praetors tried to call for help, Happy flies out from the blankets and throws himself onto the front of his helmet, causing him to drop his spear. Meanwhile, Erza and Natsu also remove their blankets off of them as they stood up and throw their fists into the faces of the other two praetors, knocking them to the ground.

"Get off of me, vermin!" The praetor yelled as he successfully grabs Happy and tosses him aside. But as he looks back to his front, the praetor finds himself staring at Natsu, growling through his gritted teeth as he glares at him.

"Who are you calling vermin, vermin?" Natsu said, quivering with rage. The praetor gulps just before Natsu swings both of his fists at the sides of the praetor's helmet. The praetor sways side to side before he slumps onto the ground and slips into unconsciousness.

The others got out of the boat and Darren, Lucy, Alicia and Sheena quickly drag the unconscious praetors over to a nearby bush. The four stack them onto each other in a pile before they turn around and regroup with the others.

"I'll stay here to watch over the boat. Once you reopen the dam, I'll come looking for you all inside the city." The hooded knight said to Noel and the others.

"Don't forget to keep in touch with us." Makoto said as she and Noel hold up their lacrima orbs. The hooded knight nods her head in response as she holds up her own.

"Thank you, Medea." Noel said to the hooded knight with a small smile.

The hooded knight puts away her lacrima and removes her hood, revealing her blue eyes and long light blue hair. "You're welcome. Now go, the liberation of Loegres and Port Zekson awaits." Medea responded to Noel and Makoto. Makoto and Noel nod back to Medea before they turn around to the others.

"Let's get started." Makoto proclaimed as she proceeds to remove her black beret and tosses it aside. Afterwards, she removes her black uniform dress, revealing what she was actually wearing underneath it. Darren, Natsu and Karol widen their eyes as they gawk at her. The clothing that Makoto was wearing all along consists of an orange top with a wide black vertical stripe that only covers the upper half of her bosom, black strap panties that are covered by an orange skirt-like cloth around her lower section, black stockings and orange boots. Makoto strokes back the two long cowlick strands of hair on her head before raising her arms and magically summons two metal tonfas, now strapped around her black and orange gloves.

When she lowers her arms, Makoto looks back at the boys and stare at them in confusion. "Something wrong?" She asked as she moves her hip to the side.

"First Judith and now her. I guess there are two similarities all female demihumans share. They all wear gorgeous outfits and have big large brea-OW!" Darren suddenly yelled in pain and agony when Alicia and Sheena deliver hard punches onto the back of his head. Erza, Lucy, Noel and Medea all shook their heads while Judith suppresses her chuckling.

As Darren bends forward and kept his head down, Alicia and Sheena cried at him in unison, "KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS TO YOURSELF!"

* * *

Shortly after leaving the pier, Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Happy, Darren, Karol, Judith, Alicia, Sheena, Noel and Makoto quietly rush over to the wall. When they all place themselves against the wall, Noel and Judith kneel down and hold out their hands, gesturing Makoto and Sheena to climb onto them.

Makoto and Sheena place their foot on top of them and Noel and Judith push them up to the ledge of the wall as they stood up. Makoto and Sheena quickly wrap their arms over the ledge and bring their legs up as they climb over the wall. Natsu, Karol and Darren whirl about and turn their sights away from them as they do.

"Yeah, I think it's best if the guys go after them." Lucy said to Erza and Alicia as they frown suspiciously at them. Erza and Alicia go over to Natsu and Darren and push them over to Noel and Judith. The two men proceed to climb onto the hands of Noel and Judith, allowing the two women to push up them to the ledge of the wall.

Meanwhile, after climbing over the ledge, Makoto and Sheena land down on the ground and the former stealthily walk over to a nearby praetor who was standing there and moving her head side to side. When she got near her, Makoto gets up and wraps her arm around the praetor's neck. The praetor struggles to break free but Makoto quickly brings down her tonfa down on her head, knocking her unconscious. Makoto carefully places the unconscious praetor down on the floor before she turns around and sees Sheena, Natsu, Darren, Karol, Lucy, Erza, Alicia, and Noel behind her. A few seconds later, Happy flies down and gently places Judith on the ground before unwrapping his tail around her waist.

Makoto gestures them to follow her and they make their way through the city of Loegres, first by entering into the backdoor of a bakery which is right in front of them. After leaving the kitchen and maneuvering through the dining area, they head over to the large glass window and hide under it.

Makoto pokes her head out and turns to her left. She sees two patrolling praetors with spears walking together through the empty streets of Loegres and heading towards her direction. She ducks down and hides under the shadows, slowly turning her head to the right as she stealthily watches the two praetors walk pass her and the bakery. As she looks to her right, she spots another praetor with a crossbow standing at the balcony of a building at the opposite side of the bakery. Makoto turns to Noel who is kneeling beside her.

"Three praetors. Two patrolling and one on a balcony at the opposite side." Makoto reported to her. Noel nods her head before she stands up and walks over to the glass door. She extends out her hands and magically summons two white oversized revolvers. After grabbing hold of the hilts of her revolvers, she aims one of them at the metal lock on the door and fires a shot. The shot is greatly muffled as it destroys the lock. Noel quickly lifts her leg up and kicks the lock before it hits the ground, sending it flying over to Makoto who catches it with her hands.

Noel uses her leg to slowly open the door. She steps out of the bakery and quickly fires two muffled shots with her revolvers at the two praetors walking down the road. The praetors yelp as they felt the back of their heads being hit by the force of a sledgehammer, and they both pass out as they slump onto the road.

"Huh?!" The praetor at the balcony cried as she quickly turns to Noel and aims her crossbow at her. But Noel swiftly lifts her left revolver up and fires another muffled shot at her forehead. The shot knocks her out and sends her collapsing on the floor.

"Hey you!" A praetor shouted. Noel whirled about and sees four praetors running towards her with their swords. She also spots one of the praetors taking out his lacrima orb and attempting to contact reinforcements. But as if time had slowed down for her, Noel swiftly holds up her revolver and takes a good look at the four advancing praetors. In just two seconds, Noel fires four muffled shots at the praetors horizontally and sends all of them collapsing onto the ground. As the now unconscious praetor drops his lacrima orb, it rolls over to Noel who brings her leg up and stomps on it, crashing it to bits.

Noel dematerializes her revolvers and turns to the bakery, gesturing the others to come out. Team Natsu, Darren, Sheena, Brave Vesperia and Makoto step out of the building and walk over to Noel.

"Don't worry guys, they are non-lethal rounds." Noel smiled at them reassuringly.

Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia, Darren and Sheena look around the city streets. The buildings in Loegres are huge and beautifully built, yet the streets are eerily silent and devoid of life. Besides patrolling praetors, not a single person can be seen, even in the alleys and the small corners of the city.

"Is this normal here in Loegres? The streets are empty." Natsu said.

"It's not normal. Loegres was a bustling city before the Abbey arrived." Makoto replied.

"The civilians could be hiding inside their homes right now, so we must be in the middle of a curfew." Noel said.

"Most likely." Lucy nodded in agreement.

"We have to keep moving, everyone." Noel reminded the group. Everyone nod their heads before they follow her down the streets. They arrived at the middle of the city, where there is a drawbridge built over a large and deep river bed that separates the west and east sides of Loegres. They approach the metal fences lined along the sides of the river bed and widen their eyes at what is in front of them. Aside from some tiny puddles of water, the river bed is completely empty and dried up.

Erza pursed her lips and narrows her eyes as she tightens her grip around the fence. "Let's get down there and walk through the river bed. It will eventually take us to the dam." She said.

"Then stand back." Makoto said. Everyone obliged and back away from the metal fences. Makoto places herself between her friends and the fence. She charges over to the fence and a wave of energy engulfs her right tonfa as she pulls back her right arm. When she got near the fence, she throws her tonfa at it and destroys the fence, creating an opening for everyone to go through.

"Your turn, Alicia." Karol said to Alicia.

Alicia goes over to the opening Makoto had created and pulls out her yo-yos from her pouch. She kneels down and ties her yo-yos around one of the bars of the fence. After making sure the knot is tight, Alicia carefully lowers herself down to the bottom of the river bed. When her feet touched the ground, she loosens the knots around her fingers and looks back up to give Makoto a thumbs-up.

"Everybody, get down there." Makoto orders the others.

When everyone except Happy eventually climb down to the bottom of the river bed thanks to the strings of Alicia's yo-yos, the exceed unties the yo-yos around the bar of the fence and flies down to Alicia to return her weapons to her.

"Thank you." Alicia said to Happy as she takes the yo-yos from him and places them into her pouch.

"Aye." Happy responded.

"Alright everyone, stay close together as we keep moving forward." Erza advised her companions.

Everyone silently walk their way through the emptied river bed and head towards the direction of the dam. After a few minutes of travelling, the entire city suddenly turns dark; causing everyone to stop at their tracks as they now could hardly see what is ahead of them.

"Dammit, the praetors must have turned off the city lights. Probably a part of the curfew." Noel whispered with her eyes narrowed.

"We need some light though if we want to keep moving forward with caution." Lucy said softly. "Natsu, will you help us out on that?"

"Sure." Natsu said as he snaps his fingers and a small ray of fire magically appeared at his fingertips. Everyone watch as Natsu walks up to the front and leads the way. "Follow me guys."

"You're so awesome, Natsu. Thanks." Makoto smiled at Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer chuckled in response.

"He may not look bright, but he's still a valuable asset to the guild." Lucy said to Makoto.

"And he still has the intelligence and wisdom to teach me how to be a better fighter." Karol said to Makoto with a wide smile.

"And he also saved me from my corrupt boss in Underwood from being sold to the Abbey." Darren added.

"Hey, you helped me too back there, didn't you?" Natsu asked Darren with a smirk.

"Yeah, I did." Darren said with his eyes softened as he remembered what caused him to fight back the muscular thug and save Natsu back then.

"Hey, why the long face all of the sudden? At least you're with us now, right?" Natsu asked Darren cheerfully.

Darren looks back up and smiled at Natsu. "Yeah, you're right. I have lots of friends now, so I know that I'm no longer helpless." He said.

"That's right. Whatever happens, we're here for you." Lucy smiled at him while Erza, Happy, Alicia, Karol and Judith nod their heads.

Makoto sighs blissfully at the sight before saying softly to Noel, "True friendship is power. This is why I love Fairy Tail."

Sheena, who walked behind everyone, gave a wan smile at Darren as she nods her head. "Yeah, we're here for you." She said dully. Darren smiles back at the rest of Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia before they all look back to their front. Unaware to everyone, Sheena frowns deeply as she turns her head away.

* * *

After walking through the river bed for over thirty minutes, everyone notice that the river bed is lightening up again as they keep moving forward. When they see another drawbridge ahead of them, Natsu extinguishes his flame and everyone rush over to it.

When they reach the bottom of the bridge, they quickly stop at their tracks and look up in awe to see a large tunnel in the distance. Mounted on the wall above the entrance are six large lanterns that illuminate the front of the tunnel. There are two praetors standing at each side of the entrance, armed with spears and swords.

"Hide!" Alicia cried softly. Everyone quickly go over to the side of the river bed and hide in the shadows underneath the bridge. Erza, Karol and Noel slightly lean forward to gaze at the entrance. A minute later, the three lean against the wall to hide under the shadows again and turn to the others.

"Alright, there are only four praetors guarding the entrance. But there are definitely more of them inside." Erza said to the others.

"Leave that to me. I'll take care of the guards." Makoto said as she raises her hand.

"Me too. Makoto and I will stealthily take them out." Judith said.

"Then once we're inside, Happy will go first." Erza said to Happy. "Fly around the interior and help us see how many praetors are inside, as well as their locations and any other interesting things that are happening in there."

"Aye!" Happy said as he salutes to Erza.

"Then after that, we'll plan out how we're going to take out the praetors that are inside the base." Erza said to the others.

"Alright! It's about time I'm able to bash some Abbey heads myself." Natsu grins as he cracks his knuckles.

"Ready to fight again, Darren?" Alicia asked Darren who draws out his katana.

"I look forward to it, and you should to." Darren responded with a smirk. Alicia chuckled as she pats on her pouch.

Sheena grits her teeth and shakes uncontrollably in frustration as she idly watches everyone discussing their plans among each other without her involvement. She can't handle this anymore. Despite joining them in missions, Sheena has always been left out from doing any actual important tasks for Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia. For once, she just wants to prove to everyone that she can provide more assistance to her friends rather than just another generic fighter within the group.

"Okay." Judith said as she draws out her spear. "Let's get-"

Suddenly, much to everyone's surprise and shock, Sheena got out of the shadows and cried as she charges her way to the guards, "Stand back, everyone! I'll take care of them!"

"What?! Sheena, wait!" Erza cried in horror as she extends her hand out to Sheena, but it was too late. The four praetors at the tunnel raise their weapons and get into their battle stances as soon as they spot Sheena coming towards them.

"Halt!" One of the praetors at the left side shouted. But Sheena ignores him as she immediately jumps in the air and delivers a twirling kick to his head. After the guard collapses, Sheena goes over to the other side and punches another praetor in the gut.

"Why you-" The other praetor at the right side of the entrance aims her spear at Sheena, but she immediately throws a piece of paper at her face, blocking her vision. As the female guard struggles to remove the paper from the front of her helmet, Sheena turns around and sees the other praetor from the left side running over to her and swings his sword at her head.

Sheena ducks down in time and delivers an uppercut to the praetor's chin, sending him staggering backwards before he collapses onto the ground. When the female guard finally removes the paper from her helmet, she aims her spear at Sheena again. Sheena whirls about, kneels down on a knee and made several finger gestures. To the guard's horror, the paper which is still in her hand illuminates with bright light. She throws the paper into the air but it explodes in front of her face, causing her to stagger backwards before she collapses onto the ground and passes out.

"Ha, they were nothing." Sheena commented with a satisfied smirk. When the others rush over to the unconscious guard behind her, Sheena stood up, turns around and strokes her ponytail. "So, what do you guys…um…" She trails off when she sees a terrified looks on her friends' faces as they stare down at the motionless guard's body. "What's wrong?"

"It's an alarm orb." Lucy said, staring at the object in the guard's hand in fear.

"He must have triggered it while he was engaged in combat with Sheena." Karol uttered.

"They've been alerted." Darren said before everyone turns to Sheena.

Sheena widens her eyes in horror when she finally notices a small blinking red lacrima orb on the palm of the guard's hand. Realizing her error, all Sheena could say out of her mouth were two words.

"Oh crap."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey for reviewing, toshiro and sakura 4 ever for favoriting and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	17. Grievances, Part 3

**Sovereign: My heart goes out to Kyoto Animation. I hope they will be able to recover from their recent tragedy.**

* * *

 _ **Grievances, Part 3**_

Meanwhile, a praetor cautiously walks over to the middle of an extensive area deep inside the dam. She took a moment to turn around and glance at her superiors and twenty other regular praetors who are standing several meters behind her before looking back to her front and lifts her head up to examine the gigantic 50-foot tall statue before her.

The statue made of granite is entirely dark grey, with the exception of its yellow diamond eyes. It is sculpted as a man with a beard and shoulder-length hair, dressed in a sleeveless armor and sitting on a chair that resembles a throne fit for a king. He also has two more arms sculpted on the upper section of his back and resting on top of his other arms. There is also a sword and a halberd placed on each side of his throne. But the features that the praetors who are present in the room are most intrigued with are four orbs sculpted on the chest plate of the statue's armor. One is lightened up but the other three remain dark.

The praetor removes her helmet, revealing her bright green eyes and dark blonde hair, tied to a side ponytail with a white and yellow flower. She kneels down on the floor, places her helmet aside and nervously spoke up as she gazes at the gigantic statue before her, "I-I-I…I am…"

"LOUDER!" One of her superiors shouted. The praetor flinched before turning to the source of the voice behind her, who is a short hunched man with pale violet skin, blonde hair, black eyes and a massive bulbous chin. His chest is wrapped with dark blue bandages with a long-sleeved dark shirt underneath, a light gray bolted belt, olive green pants and black shoes.

"And if you don't have the courage to speak up…" The hunched man warned before he lifts his hand up and snaps his fingers, signaling the other two superiors, who are Mala and Eleanor, to aim their naginata and spear at the praetor.

The praetor quickly looks back at the statue and raised her voice as she speaks again, "I am Alisha Diphda! And I wish…I could have been a better protector to the people of my town!"

Alisha lowers her head and shuts her eyelids, preparing for the worst. But to her surprise and relief, nothing happened. She lifts her head back up and open her eyes to see the second orb on the statue's chest plate lightened up. The praetor lets out a sigh of relief as she lowers her head again.

"You did well, Sergeant Alisha Diphda." The hunched man said to the praetor as his teeth cracks out into a wide grin. "You may leave."

Alisha immediately obliged as she picks up her helmet and gets up from the floor. As she puts her helmet back on, she turns around and walks over to her superiors and fellow praetors. As one of the praetors returns her spear to her, Alisha turns her head to the pile of helmets and weapons lay on the floor at the corner of the room, all of them originally belonged to her fellow soldiers who risked their lives to make their wish before the giant statue.

As she grabs her spear, Alisha gave a sad moan to quietly pay her respects to her fallen comrades. She walks past her fellow soldiers afterwards and leaves the room.

"Finally, the second orb has been lightened, and it only took 42 praetors to do so." The hunched man said, scratching his large chin. He turns to Eleanor and ordered her, "Bring in another lower rank soldier."

Suddenly, he and his men felt their lacrima orbs shaking inside their uniforms. Mala quickly draws out his orb and sees that it is flashing red.

"We have intruders in the dam, Captain Nullpudding." Mala reported to the hunched man.

"Then have we all turn dumb?!" Nullpudding yelled furiously at Mala, Eleanor and the other praetors present in the room. "KILL THEM!"

* * *

After running deep into the dam and fighting through their enemies, Team Natsu and their allies eventually find themselves being pinned against the rocky wall and surrounded by a hundred praetors. The praetors get into their battle stances as the spearmen point their spears at them while the swordsmen hold up their swords.

"Give it up! You are completely surrounded!" A squad leader barked at them.

Lucy groans and turns to Sheena. "Way a go, Sheena! You just had to go straight towards the enemy, don't ya?"

"Why do you have to be so stupid, Sheena?" Happy added.

"Pot calls the kettle black!" Sheena snapped at Happy. She growls in rage as she turns back to the praetors and draws out her papers. "I'll show you that I'm not an idiot!"

Sheena swings her arm and throws her papers into the air. The praetors look up at the papers above them as Sheena swiftly made several hand gestures. The papers illuminate brightly and exploded, causing the praetors to yell in alarm as most of them drop their weapons and collapse onto the floor.

"Amazing!" Makoto commented as she watched the display in awe.

"Alright!" Natsu yelled as he clenches his fists and gets into his fighting stance. "Let's fight back!"

Erza closes her eyelids and magically changes her armor into her Adamantine Armor while Lucy, Karol, Judith, Alicia, Darren and Noel draw out their respective weapons. With the bladed shields attached onto her arms, Erza closes them together and charged through the praetors who are still standing. As she collides with them, her shields send the praetors flying helplessly through the air before they land onto the ground in heaps. Makoto sighs blissfully as she watches the display.

"You're so gorgeous, Titania." Makoto remarked before she turns her head and sees two praetors, armed with gauntlets, running towards them. One of them swings her right gauntlet at Makoto. Makoto swiftly dodges the punch by moving to the side. She swings her right arm, using her right tonfa to deliver a powerful punch at the back of her head, sending her falling and landing on her face. The other praetor tries to go over to Makoto, but she whirled about and swings her leg, kicking him across his face.

After firing her revolvers at three praetors, Noel turns to the side and sees ten praetors charging towards her with their spears. Noel took a step back and places her revolvers together.

"Zero-Gun…" As Noel chanted, the revolvers magically transforms into a large barrel gun. She now takes a step forward and aims her newly transformed weapon at the advancing praetors. "FENRIR!"

Noel began firing multiple bullets at the praetors. They yell as they got hit by the non-lethal rounds and collapse onto the floor.

"Incredible." Alicia said as she, Darren, Lucy and Natsu watch her and Makoto in awe.

"Noel's a female Rambo." Darren added.

"Huh?" Lucy asked Darren with an arched eyebrow.

As Natsu turns back to the praetors in front of him and Lucy, a huge grin appears on his face. "We'll show them whose better! Happy, pick me up!" Natsu yelled at Happy.

"Aye!" Happy responded as he flies over to his friend from behind, wraps his tail around his body and picks him up into the air. Natsu holds up his fist in front of his lips and aims at the praetors before his cheeks enlarge.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu bellowed as he fires a huge blast of fire from his mouth. The praetors yell as the blast knocks them down to the floor.

"Taurus!" Lucy cried as she swings her key and summons her Celestial Spirit, Taurus, a muscular anthropomorphic black and white bull. Taurus draws out his battle ax and swings his weapon horizontally at a group of praetors. The praetors manage to block his attack with their swords and gauntlets, but the blow sends them sprawling through the floor.

Meanwhile, a praetor runs up to Darren and swings his sword diagonally at him. Darren blocks the attack with his katana and kicks the praetor in his stomach, sending him stumbling backwards. Another praetor jumps into the air and throws down his gauntlet at Darren. Darren quickly jumps away to dodge the attack and the praetor ends up leaving a crack on the ground as he lands.

Suddenly, a pair of yo-yos wrapped around the gauntlet-wielding praetor. He yelps as the strings tightened around his body and he helplessly collapses onto the ground. Darren turns his head to Alicia and smiled at her.

"Thanks!" Darren said.

"You're welcome." Alicia replied. Suddenly, she heard a battle cry, causing her to gasp. Alicia whirled about and sees Alisha running up to her. The praetor thrusts her spear at Alicia, who quickly moves to the side to dodge the attack.

"Stop this right now, intruder!" Alisha yelled at Alicia before thrusting her spear at her again. Alicia moves to the side to dodge her attack again but she accidentally steps on a rock and trips over to the ground on her back. Alisha stands beside her and tries to take the opportunity to bring her spear down on her.

However, Alisha fails to see Darren running over to her. He quickly uses the bottom of the hilt of his katana to hit Alisha right in her gut. As she clings onto her spear, Alisha gasped in pain as she is sent sprawling through the floor. Alisha gets up and sees Darren getting into his fighting stance in front of her. She glares at him as she gets into position as well.

Alisha steps forward and delivers a series of thrusts at Darren with her spear. Darren manages to keep up with her as he blocks her spear with his katana. In the end, when Alisha delivers another thrust at him, Darren moves to the side and brings down his katana onto her spear. Alisha gasps as her opponent manages to knock her weapon out of her grip. Darren turns and swings his katana at her. Alisha froze as Darren stops at mid-swing, holding the blade of his katana right in front of her neck.

After Darren stares at the look of fear and helplessness on Alisha's face for a moment, he sighs and lowers his katana. Alisha looks down and tries to pick up her spear, but suddenly a yo-yo swings over to her and knocks her at the side of her head. Alisha rolls her eyes back as she collapses onto the floor and falls into a state of unconsciousness. The yo-yo returns back to the hand of Alicia, who is now standing up on her feet again.

"Are you okay?" Alicia asked Darren in concern.

"Yeah." Darren replied.

"Thanks for returning the favor." Alicia said with a smile. Darren chuckled before the two rejoin the fight with their friends.

After Karol swings his hammer at the side of a praetor's head to knock him out, he turns to Judith and said, "We can't keep fighting them forever!"

"You're right." Judith replied to her leader before she jumps in the air and delivers a kick across a praetor's face. As she lands back on the ground, she sees another group of praetors, led by Nullpudding, coming towards their direction. Judith turns to Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Darren, Alicia, Sheena and Taurus, who are all standing close to each other as they defend themselves from the advancing praetors. "Guys! You have to keep going! The dam must be reopened!"

"What about the rest of you?" Darren asked. Erza runs over and places herself in front of him and the others. She places her shields together and turns her head to the people behind her.

"Don't worry about us! The reopening of the dam is our utmost priority! Got that?!" Erza yelled at Darren, Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Alicia, Sheena and Taurus. The seven solemnly nod their heads to her before Erza turns back to the front. "I'll give you all cover."

Erza lets out a furious yell as she charges through the praetors, knocking them down and leaving behind an open path for the people behind her.

"Let's go!" Natsu shouted. Happy proceeds to wrap his tail around Natsu's body again and picks him up as he flies into the air while Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Sheena and Taurus run and make their way deeper into the tunnel.

As Nullpudding and his group of praetors make their way over to the ongoing battle, the purple-skinned superior snarls as he sees Erza, Natsu, Happy and Lucy coming towards their direction.

"Fairy Tail!" Nullpudding muttered. As he leaps into the air, Nullpudding enlarged his arms and spikes grow out on his fingers, forearms, chin and head. Erza gasped as she, Natsu, Happy and Lucy notice him in the air.

"It's him!" Erza cried.

"Yeah, I remember! He's the one who fought Gray and Juvia at the Grand Magic Games!" Natsu yelled.

"Nullpudding, right?!" Lucy asked.

Nullpudding yells ferociously as he falls towards Erza and the others and pulls his spiked right arm back, preparing to deliver a strike.

"No you don't!" Erza yelled at him as she leaps into the air and closes her shields together to block Nullpudding's attack.

"We meet again, fairies!" Nullpudding barked at Erza as he tries to push his spiked fist against her shields. As Erza stayed in the air and tries to push back Nullpudding's fist, she turns to Natsu and Happy behind her.

"Go! Keep moving!" Erza shouted at them. "Finish the main objective for us!"

Natsu and Happy nod their heads before the exceed flies down and goes under Erza and Nullpudding while carrying his friend. The two continue to lead Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Sheena and Taurus the way, but their path is blocked by Nullpudding's praetors.

"Taurus, now!" Lucy ordered her spirit.

"You got it!" Taurus responded before he jumps into the air. He spins his battle ax around before swinging it down and strikes it onto the ground as he lands. The impact generated a powerful shockwave that moves towards the praetors, splitting the ground and blasts rocks into the air. The attack sends the praetors flying through the air and creates another clear path for the heroes.

"Thanks Taurus!" Darren said gratefully to the Celestial Spirit. "You really live up to the name of _'The Great Bull of Heaven'_ bestowed by the Mesopotamians."

"Umm, I don't know what a Meso-something is, but thanks." Taurus replied.

"Come on, everybody!" Lucy cried as she and her friends run faster while the praetors fall and slump onto the ground around them. Erza smiled in relief as she sees Natsu, Happy, Lucy and the others made their way deeper into the tunnel.

"Thank you, guys. You've freed me from my worries." Erza murmured. She turns back to Nullpudding and narrows her eyes as she lets out a yell and successfully pushes her enemy back. Nullpudding performs a backwards somersault and both him and Erza gently land back on the ground. They glare menacingly at each other as Judith, Karol, Noel, Makoto quickly run up to Erza's sides.

"Erza!" Judith said to her before they all get into their battle stances as they face Nullpudding.

Nullpudding sniggered at them as his spikes disappeared. "You may have helped your friends get through me and my men, but the worst has yet to come for them." He said mockingly with a wide grin.

"Why are you doing this? What will Ivan Dreyar gain from conquering all of Fiore?" Erza inquired.

"It is true that we failed to claim the title of the greatest guild of Fiore at the Grand Magic Games two years ago, as well as retrieving Lumen Histoire from the _'fairies'_ ," Nullpudding said the last word with disdain. "And thanks to that wretched mage known as Laxus Dreyar, our guild has been disgraced and shunned by the rest of society. But fourteen months ago, a friend of ours introduced herself before me and Ivan, presenting us a brand new opportunity to take our revenge on everyone who has brought misery and humiliation upon us, including Fairy Tail and the accursed Magic Council!"

"How can you do this?!" Makoto cried in anguish. "Aren't you a demihuman?! Haven't our race suffered enough since the Tartaros Incident?! If you do this, you will continue to bring disgrace to our people and create further mistrust from the humans!"

"And why should we make peace with the humans?" Nullpudding scoffed at Makoto. "Humans are arrogant and only care about what they desire. They view us demis as a feral and lowly version of themselves. And after the Tartaros Incident happened, the humans never flinch to express their hatred towards us. Face it. You are wasting your life serving the Magic Council alongside them. Humans never cared about co-existing with demis in the first place. And we shouldn't either!"

"Then why do you still serve Ivan?" Erza asked.

"I served Ivan so that I can accomplish my goal in helping all demihumans take their revenge on the humans. He is just a stepping stone for me. Once I helped the Abbey rule the entire world alongside Ivan, I will discard him and walk my own path. Flare Corona, Obra and Kurohebi have all since defect him, but that is because they are weak-minded. I will leave Ivan as well, but unlike them, I will go on to become a far more superior mage. A mage that will make all humans fear me and all demihumans." Nullpudding explained.

"You're right." Judith said flatly to Nullpudding. Erza, Karol, Makoto and Noel turn their heads to her in shock. "There will always be humans out there who only care about their selfish desires."

"Judith!" Karol cried, appalled by her response.

"Heh. Good to know that a fellow demihuman agrees with me." Nullpudding grins at her.

Judith narrows her eyes at Nullpudding as she continued, "But at the same time, you're wrong about them as well."

"Huh?" Nullpudding responded with an arched eyebrow.

"During my time with Karol, Estelle, Alicia, and now with Fairy Tail, I learnt that no matter how bad humans can be, there will always be some who truly care and love for others." Judith turns to Karol and smiled at him. "Just like my leader, Karol Capel here. He may not be the brightest guild leader around, but when my fellow Krityans and I were bullied by humans after the Tartaros Incident, Karol took me into his guild and treated me as an equal. Of all the humans in Zaphias, Karol showed the most pity and compassion to us, demihumans, because deep down in his heart, he doesn't believe in scorn and hatred towards others. He believes that all of us, humans and demihumans, are no different from each other. And that's why he desires to create a world where both races can live together in peace and stability. I share that dream too. That's why regardless of our race, I will follow Karol until the end of time."

A wide smile takes form on Karol's face as small tears brim in his eyes. "Judith…"

Judith turns back to Nullpudding and glares at him again. "So while you believe that humans are a lost cause, I still believe in one thing that I have learned from Brave Vesperia and Fairy Tail. One thing that humans are still capable of…love."

Erza, Karol, Makoto and Noel all smile at Judith and nod their heads in agreement before they turn their heads back to Nullpudding and get back into their fighting stances. Nullpudding growls angrily at them, quivering with rage as he shook his clenched fists.

"What an outrageous fantasy! Accursed humans…and weak-minded demihumans…working together?!" Nullpudding bellowed at them. "You all make me sick!" Nullpudding stomps his foot on the ground and gets into his fighting stance as spikes grow out of his head, chin, arms and fingers again.

"Get ready, everyone!" Erza warned her friends. Karol, Judith, Makoto and Noel nod their heads as they all readied their weapons.

"All of you have failed to understand how miserable and unforgiving this world is! If that is the case, I'll show you all how weak your compassion for others truly is!" Nullpudding roared before he leaps into the air and pulls his fist back as he prepares to fight his enemies.

"Attack!" Erza ordered. She, Karol, Judith, Noel and Makoto jump up and prepare to fight Nullpudding, and a fight between them ensues.

* * *

Meanwhile, Natsu, Happy, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Sheena and Taurus arrived at the deepest room inside the dam. They widen their eyes and gaze at the gigantic four-armed granite statue in awe.

"Whoooaaa, look at the size of that thing." Happy uttered with his eyes wide.

"There's a statue inside the dam?" Lucy said.

"What is it doing here?" Alicia inquired.

"That is Procrustes, the guardian of Southern Fiore." Mala's booming voice responded to her. The seven turn their heads to see Mala Makra and Eleanor approaching them with their weapons.

"Mala!" Darren cried as he immediately draws out his katana and holds it in front of him.

"I assume you're Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail." Eleanor said icily to Natsu and Lucy before she gets into her fighting stance with her spear. "We meet at last."

"Who are you? And how do you know who we are?" Natsu asked.

"Does the name Velvet Crowe ring a bell?!" Eleanor cried. Natsu and Lucy gasped.

"The one we fought back at Hargeon." Lucy uttered.

"You mean killed!" Eleanor cried as her grip around her spear tightens. "You mercilessly killed my superior in cold blood, and I will never forgive you!"

"Eleanor, please." Lucy said, holding up her hands and trying to reason with the red-headed praetor. "You have completely misunder-"

"Not another word out of your mouth!" Eleanor snapped back at her. Natsu grimaced, knowing that they have no way to reason with Eleanor right now. Instead, he decides to change the subject and turns to Mala.

"What exactly are you guys doing here? Is this statue the main reason why you guys shut the dam?" Natsu asked Mala.

"Yes." Mala nods his head. "Not only did we close the dam to pressure the townspeople in Port Zekson, but also because we are trying to obtain the treasure that this deity is guarding inside of him."

"What are you talking about?" Sheena asked.

"You see, this dam does serve as a sea route between the south and southwest regions, but there is actually a second reason why the people of this city build it. To protect the Orb of the Heart." Mala explained.

"The Orb of the Heart?" Lucy uttered with her eyes widened. "I...I didn't know…"

"Lucy?" Natsu turns to his friend, staring at her in confusion.

Lucy turns to Natsu and said, "I read about this in the HQ's library. The Orb of the Heart is one of two legendary orbs in Earth Land that is said to control the emotions of every human in the world. They are so dangerous that the very first known Ten Wizard Saints buried them thousands of years ago. I find it hard to believe, so I thought the Orbs were just a myth to me." Lucy flinched as she turns to the statue of Procrustes. "But now…I can't believe it actually exists."

"Oh it does." Mala said to Lucy. "We have already obtained the other orb. And once we obtained the Orb of the Heart as well, no wizard, creature or any known force in Earth Land will be able to stop us."

Natsu and Lucy both grimaced at Mala and Eleanor as they get into their battle stances.

"You'll have to get through us first!" Natsu yelled as his arms lit up with fire. Darren, Alicia, Sheena, Happy and Taurus nod their heads as they prepare to fight as well. Mala holds up his double-edged naginata and gets into position.

"Prepare to die." Mala said diabolically before he swiftly charges towards Natsu. He swings his naginata diagonally at Natsu, who quickly blocks his attack with his flaming forearm. Taurus yells as he goes over to Mala from behind and swings his axe down at his back. Mala quickly splits his naginata into two swords. While one sword is still clashed against Natsu's forearm, Mala turns to Taurus and swings his other sword up to block his battle ax. Lucy throws her whip at Mala's midsection, but the praetor dodges the attack by leaping into the air and jumping away from her, Natsu and Taurus. Mala performs a backflip and lands on the floor beside Eleanor, who had finished chanting her spell. Eleanor looks back at Natsu and the others and aims her spear at them.

"Maelstrom!" Eleanor proclaimed as a blast of wind fires from the tip of her spear and flies over to Natsu and the others.

Natsu and his friends jump away to evade Eleanor's attack. After rolling over the floor, Sheena draws out her papers and sprints over to Eleanor. She throws her papers at Eleanor, who slashes them with her spear. When Sheena got near her, she jumps in the air and delivers some twirling kicks at Eleanor's face. Eleanor manages to keep up with her as she blocks all of her attacks with her spear.

Sheena finishes it off by throwing both of her legs at Eleanor. Eleanor holds up her spear and blocks her attack with the haft of her spear. As Sheena did a backwards flip and lands on the ground, Eleanor slams the tip of her spear onto the floor, jumps up and delivers a whirling kick at Sheena as she clings onto the haft and spins around. She successfully kicks Sheena across her face, sending her rolling to the floor. As Eleanor lands back down on the floor, Lucy throws her whip at her and it wraps around her body.

"Do it!" Lucy ordered Taurus as she pulls her whip back to tighten her grip around her enemy. Taurus yells as he runs over to Eleanor and lifts his battle ax up, preparing to strike her.

Eleanor remains silent as she lowers her head and chanted, "May the Earth protect me…" She looks up at the advancing Celestial Spirit and yelled, "Rock swarm!" Three large rocks magically appear around her, much to the surprise of Lucy and Taurus. Two of the rocks fly over to Taurus. Taurus swings his ax and successfully slices through the first rock, but the second rock manages to collide against his midsection. Taurus yells in pain as he is sent flying through the air. The third rock flies over to Lucy, who gasped in horror as she loosens her grip on her whip.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried as he runs over and tackles Lucy to the floor, successfully getting themselves out of the way as the rock flies past and slams into the wall behind them. As Natsu and Lucy lands on the floor, he looks down at her and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lucy replied. The two stare at each other for a moment, realizing the position that they got themselves into. The two chuckled as Natsu quickly gets off of her while Lucy rolls over to the side and gets up from the ground. "Why are we having such funny thoughts at a time like this?" She asked as she dusts off her clothes.

Natsu gets up from the ground as well and slaps himself across the face. "Yeah." He simply said.

Meanwhile, Alicia swings her yo-yos at Mala, who dodges them by jumping into the air. After performing a somersault, he lands on the floor in front of Alicia and swings his swords horizontally at her as he gets up. He barely misses her midsection as Alicia backs away from his swords in time. Mala swings his right sword diagonally at Alicia who dodges it by moving to the side. But Mala swings his left sword vertically and successfully leaves a cut from Alicia's left shoulder down to the bottom of her left upper arm.

Alicia cries in pain as she kneels down on a knee. Mala mercilessly swings his right sword horizontally and leaves another slash on Alicia's right upper arm, causing her to cry in pain again as both of her knees are now on the floor.

"Pathetic." Mala muttered before he brings his swords up and prepares to bring them down on her head. Suddenly, Darren yells angrily as he runs over to Mala and tackles him in his midsection with his head. Darren manages to push him several meters away from Alicia before Mala lifts his leg up and kicks him at the bottom of his chin with his knee. Darren backs away and Mala tries to swing his swords horizontally at them. Darren quickly swings his katana diagonally to knock his swords back.

Darren steps forward and proceed to thrust his katana several times at Mala, who quickly dodges all of his attack by moving side to side. When Mala ducks down to dodge Darren's last attack, he tries to swing his swords horizontally at his midsection. Darren quickly lifts his leg up and blocks his attack with his kneepad. As he knocks back his sword, Darren throws his boot into Mala's face, knocking him back and falling to the floor on his back. Darren tries to bring his katana down on his chest, but Mala quickly rolls over to the side and gets up. Darren removes his katana from the floor before he gets up and glares at Mala. They both gaze intensively at each other as they cling onto their weapons and walk around in a circle.

"I see you have greatly improved since our last encounter." Mala commented.

"Thanks, and I couldn't have become what I am now if it weren't for my friends." Darren replied.

"True, but you still could have become even stronger than that if you had joined us." Mala said.

"For the second time, I'm not accepting your offer." Darren narrows his eyes. "Especially after I've seen how you don't treat us from the other world with mercy."

"Mercy is a sign of weakness. That is why our enemies cannot win." Mala replied.

"That's a load of bull and you know it." Darren said flatly. Mala snorted as he and Darren came to a halt. The masked praetor turns to Alicia who is still kneeling on the ground, grabbing onto her injured left arm.

"Then let's see if you can continue to keep your friend safe." Mala said.

"What?" Darren widens his eyes in shock as Mala suddenly charges over to Alicia. "No!"

Darren quickly runs over to Alicia and places himself in front of her right before Mala swings his swords horizontally at him. Darren holds up his katana in time to block his attacks.

"Darren!" Alicia cried as Darren and Mala push their swords against each other in a stalemate.

"Alicia! Run!" Darren shouted as he turns his head to her. Alicia stares at him incredulously for a second before she nods her head, gets up and quickly staggers away while grabbing onto her bleeding left arm.

"Merciful, yet unwise." Mala remarked. As Darren turns back to him, Mala swiftly lifts his leg up, successfully hitting his abdomen with his knee. Darren gasped as he backs away, allowing Mala to twirl and swings his swords around. Darren manages to block his attack in time, but the blow sends him tripping and falling onto the ground on his back.

Mala reconnects his swords together and brings down his naginata onto Darren, who rolls to the side in time before the blade hits the floor where he was originally lying on. However, as Mala slides his naginata to the side, its blade manages to cut Darren's right thigh as he gets up.

Darren yelps in pain as he bends down and places his hand above his injured thigh, allowing Mala to swing his fist and deliver an uppercut at the bottom of his chin. Darren gasped in pain as he is sent staggering backwards before Mala brings up his leg and delivers a powerful kick to his chest. The kick sends Darren flying through the air and slamming against the wall behind him.

Meanwhile, Natsu jumps into the air and swings his hand down at Eleanor as his fingers are engulfed with flames. "FIRE DRAGON'S CRUSHING FANG!"

"Flames, huh? Let's cool you off!" Eleanor yelled before thrusting her spear at Natsu. "ICE EDGE!"

A huge blast of icy breeze erupts from the tip of her spear and flies towards Natsu. As the blast hits Natsu's hand, the Fire Dragon Slayer is shocked to see his left arm frozen in solid ice which extinguishes the flames. As Natsu falls over to Eleanor, the praetor turns around and delivers a kick to his abdomen, sending him flying through the air, slamming against the wall beside Darren and drops onto the floor.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried as she and Alicia are currently kneeling at the doorway while wrapping a bandage around her left arm.

"Are you okay?!" Darren struggled to ask Natsu in pain as he turns his head to him.

"It's alright. I've been through worse." Natsu replied as he lifts his head up and clutches his abdomen. After both of them help each other get up from the ground, they turn to Mala Makra who twirls his naginata before getting into his fighting stance. Natsu snorted in annoyance as he glares at him. "This guy thinks he's so smart…"

"Let's take him out together, shall we?" Darren asked Natsu.

"Yeah. I wish we could have gotten the whole gang together." Natsu said. Suddenly, the entire room shakes and trembles by a powerful force, causing everyone to stumble.

"Huh? What's going on?" Sheena inquired as she and Eleanor stop fighting and heard the loud rumbling sound around them.

"Oh no." Eleanor uttered in horror as she turns her head to the statue of Procrustes. "He wished something that angered the deity!"

"Huh?" Natsu said incredulously as he, Darren and Mala turn to the statue as well. To everyone's awe and horror, the statue began to move. He grabs the huge swords and halberds placed at the sides of his throne before getting up from it and towers before the tiny humans beneath him.

"Violence! You displayed violence!" The statue boomed before lifting the sword in his front left hand up and prepares to swing down at Natsu, Darren and Mala.

This causes Eleanor and Sheena to scream at them, "LOOK OUT!"

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks!**


	18. Grievances, Part 4

_**Grievances, Part 4**_

Darren and Natsu quickly jump out of the way while Mala holds up his naginata and clashes his weapon against the statue's sword. The blow causes Mala to get down on his knees temporarily before the praetor manages to get up while pushing back the statue's sword.

The statue tried to thrust his halberd in his back left hand at Mala, but the praetor finally pushes his sword out of his way and twirls his naginata around.

"DESTRUCTIVE CIRCLE!" Mala shouted as he swings his naginata at the statue, firing a circular blast of wind at his head. The statue roars in both pain and anger as the blast hits him at the left side of his head. When the smoke is cleared, the statue recovers and turns his head back to Mala. He swings the sword in his front right hand vertically down at the praetor. Mala jumps out of the way before the sword slams onto the ground.

Suddenly, to the surprise of Sheena and Eleanor, the statue turns the halberd in his back right hand to them. Eleanor gasped and froze in horror.

"Look out!" Sheena shouted as she quickly tackles Eleanor out of the way before the statue thrusts his halberd at them. As the halberd hits the ground, a large rock erupts from the debris and hits Sheena on the back, causing her to yell in pain as she and Eleanor land on the ground. Eleanor stares at Sheena with her eyes wide as she sits up and gets her off her body.

"W-why?" Eleanor asked incredulously at her. "You are my enemy!"

Sheena groans in pain before replying weakly to her, "I-I…I don't care…" She closes her eyes and passes out, leaving Eleanor to continue staring at her in shock and confusion.

With his entire upper body engulfed in flames, Natsu lets out a ferocious roar as he runs up the statue's front right arm and goes directly to his head.

"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY FRIEND?!" Natsu bellowed at the statue in rage. When he reaches his shoulder, Natsu leaps into the air and propels himself over to his head. "FIRE DRAGON'S SWORD HORN!"

Natsu aims the top of his head at the statue and collides against his right cheek. The attack managed to knock the statue's head back, but only a few seconds later, the statue shifts his eyes to Natsu who is still pushing against his cheek. He swings his sword in his front left hand down on the ground. He releases his hand from its hilt and uses it to swipe Natsu out from his left cheek as if he was just a fly. Natsu yells in agonizing pain as the statue gave a hard slap on him, sending him plummeting and rolling over the ground as his flames disappear.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried in horror as she stares at Natsu.

Meanwhile, Mala successfully kicks Darren in the gut, sending him sprawling through the floor. Darren tries to get up but Mala aims his naginata at his throat. As Darren froze and stares at the blade of his weapon in fear, Mala turns to Eleanor who is now standing beside Sheena, still lying on the ground unconscious.

"What are you waiting for, Lieutenant?! Finish her!" Mala ordered her.

Eleanor clings onto her spear tightly, staring down at Sheena in a mixture of hate and confusion. The former is due to still viewing Fairy Tail and their allies as her enemies, but the latter is because she cannot deny the fact that Sheena had saved her life. She hated Fairy Tail for killing Velvet, the praetor whom she admired. And yet, her enemy had just saved her life from the now enraged statue of Procrustes. How can she possibly think of someone who had just saved her life? And is it really honourable for a praetor to kill someone who is unable to fight back for themselves? Eleanor grits her teeth and closes her eyelids, contemplating what she should do right now…and what would Velvet do if she was in the same situation as her.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE! KILL HER!" Mala commanded her again.

Eleanor continues to contemplate for a few more seconds before she manages to utter a word out from her mouth, "No."

She looks back at Mala and shouted at him with a pensive frown, "No! I can't do it! I will never kill an enemy who is unable to fight back! That is not what an honourable praetor would do!"

Mala remained silent for a moment before replying to her coldly, "So be it."

Suddenly, much to the shock of Darren and Eleanor, Mala swiftly runs over to her and stabs his naginata through her abdomen. Eleanor gasped with her eyes wide and shaking. She trembled for a moment before she closes her eyelids and her head slumps onto Mala's shoulder.

Mala removes his naginata from her abdomen and pushes her off of him in disgust, letting his former ally slump onto the ground.

"Like I said, soldiers must never be overwhelmed by emotion. That is why you're weak." Mala commented as he gazes at Eleanor's motionless body.

Suddenly, Mala heard an angry yell. He turns around and sees Darren, his eyes narrowed and quivering with rage, charging towards him in uncontrollable fury. When he is near the praetor, Darren thrusts his katana at his face. Mala quickly blocks it with his naginata and the two stayed in a stalemate.

"Why?! Why did you do that to her?! She is your friend!" Darren shouted at Mala as they push their weapons against each other.

"She should have known her place, just like you!" Mala responded. Darren snarls as he manages to push Mala back. Mala staggers backwards for barely a second before Darren delivers a kick to his chest, knocking him to the ground.

When he heard the statue's roar, Darren turns and sees him about to bring the palm of his front left hand on top of him. Darren runs out of the way in time before the statue slams his hand onto the ground, causing the floor of the area to tremble. Lucy and Alicia cry in alarm as the tremors cause them and Taurus to fall onto the floor.

"There has to be a way to stop this thing!" Alicia shouted.

"But how?! Not even Natsu can lay a scratch on it!" Taurus said.

"Lucy, didn't you do your research on the Orb of Heart?" Alicia asked Lucy.

"Yes I did." Lucy replied.

"Then what about the person who protected the orb?! Tell us more about Procrustes! You must have learnt something about him as well!" Alicia yelled back at her.

As she momentarily turns away from Alicia, Lucy rubs her temples, trying to remember what she had read about the deity who protects the Orb.

"Well, thousands of years ago, the Orb of the Heart was first discovered by three warriors known as Mathew, Jack and Maria." She began to explain with her eyes still closed. "Mathew, obsessed with bringing peace and tranquillity to Earth Land, uses the Orb's power to control the hearts of everyone, making him and his friends a prime target for the first known Ten Wizard Saints. However, during his conquest, Mathew ended up killing his two lifelong friends, Jack and Maria. Mathew was devastated that he murdered the only two people who ever cared for him throughout his entire life by accident, that he willingly surrendered himself and the Orb to the Ten Wizard Saints. The Ten Wizard Saints then seal the Orb away into the body of a legendary warrior known as Procrustes, an invincible warrior who will only submit…"

Lucy opens her eyes and turns to Alicia as she finished her explanation, "To the sense of regret."

Natsu jumps back and lands in front of Lucy and Alicia after dodging a halberd from Procrustes.

"That thing is invincible? Should have said so sooner!" Natsu said to Lucy as he turns to her.

Alicia briefly slaps herself on her face before saying to Natsu, "No! Lucy just said the statue's weakness! He submits to the sense of regret!"

"Oh okay!" Natsu said before looking up at the statue. "Hey big guy!" He shouted, getting the statue's attention. "I regret that I wasn't able to save my father!"

However, when he says it, the first orb on the statue's chestplate just lights up. The statue roars again as he swings the sword in his front left hand vertically downwards at Natsu. Lucy and Alicia yelp while Natsu throws up his hands and grabs the sword, preventing the weapon from coming down onto his head.

"Did you notice that orb lit up on his chest?" Lucy asked Alicia.

Alicia nodded and replied, "I guess that means it has already been said to him."

"You mean the fact of someone regretting to save someone close to them? Noted." Natsu said. He turns back to the statue and yells as he manages to push the sword back, sending the statue staggering backwards.

"Even though I can't defeat it, at least I can still keep him busy. Until then, you guys better think of something." Natsu said to the girls and Taurus before he jumps back into the air and continues fighting the statue to keep Procrustes occupied.

"G-Guys…" Lucy, Alicia and Taurus barely heard Eleanor saying to them while she lies down on her own pool of blood. They see the praetor looked back and tried to reach her hand out to them. Lucy and Taurus turn to each other and nod their heads. Despite the fact that Eleanor is a praetor who fought against them, they cannot leave a defenceless person behind without mercy.

"Alicia, stay here." Lucy said to her friend. Alicia nods her head to her before Lucy and Taurus run their way over to Eleanor.

As they run, the statue lands his foot right behind Lucy and Taurus as Natsu manages to land a flaming punch to its chest and sends it staggering backwards. As Lucy and Taurus continue running, Darren rolls over the ground behind them after getting kicked by Mala again. Mala runs over to him and tried to bring his naginata down on him, but Darren quickly rolls over to the side before getting up and successfully stabs his katana through the left lower side of Mala's abdomen, causing him to yell in pain as he falls on his left knee. Darren removes his katana, turns around in a circle and delivers a twirling kick across his face that sends him rolling over to the floor.

When Lucy and Taurus reach Eleanor's side, they both kneel down and the blonde mage carefully lifts her head up from the floor.

"Hang on, we'll get you out of here, I promise." Lucy said to Eleanor with a worried frown.

"P-Procrustes…" Eleanor moaned weakly as she stares at Lucy with her eyes flittering. She takes a deep breath before continuing, "We managed to confess to him that we regret not being able to save our relatives, and not being able to protect our fellow townspeople. Now, you'll need to think of two other things that are different than those."

Lucy nods her head before looking up at Taurus. "Taurus, I order you to take this woman and Sheena out of here."

"Yes mistress." Taurus said solemnly to her. He extends out his arms, allowing Lucy to place Eleanor onto them. Taurus carefully picks Eleanor up as he stands up and runs out of the room. Procrustes swiftly turns his head to the fleeing Celestial Spirit and attempted to thrust his halberd in his back left hand at him and Eleanor.

"HAPPY!" Natsu shouted.

"Aye!" Happy responded as he flies down to Natsu, quickly wraps his tail around his body and delivers him over to the statue. Natsu pulls his right arm back and a magical circle forms behind his elbow.

"FIRE DRAGON'S FLAME ELBOW!" Natsu bellowed as he throws his right fist at the halberd with flames bursting out from his elbow. He successfully punches the halberd out of the way, allowing Taurus and Eleanor to continue fleeing from the fight.

"In…credible." Eleanor managed to say as she watched her enemy saved her life once more through her nearly closed eyelids. She finally passes out and slips into unconsciousness once more as Taurus carries her out through the doorway.

As Happy lands Natsu back on the ground, the Dragon Slayer turns to the exceed as he unwraps his tail around him. "Happy, take Sheena out of here and follow Taurus." He said solemnly to him.

"Aye." Happy obliged. He flies over to Sheena, picks her up with his tail and makes his departure out of the room.

Meanwhile, Darren barely manages to block all of Mala's attacks with his katana as the praetor continuously swings his swords at him. But eventually, Mala manages to land a slash at the left side of Darren's abdomen, causing him to yelp. Mala proceeds to swing his left sword diagonally, successfully slashing Darren's right shoulder.

As Darren grits his teeth while struggling to cling onto his katana, Mala jumps back and swings both swords horizontally at him.

"DESTRUCTIVE FIELD!" Mala shouted and two horizontal waves of explosions erupted from the floor and head towards Darren. The blasts hit Darren and send him flying over to Alicia. Alicia watched in horror as Darren lands beside her and sprawls through the floor.

"No! Darren!" Alicia shouted at him. Darren groans as he tries to get up.

"Darren!" Natsu and Lucy cried as they go over to Mala from behind. As Mala turns to them, Natsu pulls back his flaming fist.

"GET AWAY FROM-ACK!" Before Natsu could finish, Mala swings his sword horizontally at them, firing a large circular gust of wind that sends him and Lucy flying through the air and slamming against the wall.

Mala turns back to Darren who gets back up on his feet, but he groans again as he places his hand over his wound on the side of his abdomen.

"Surrender now." Mala said icily to him. "You can keep fighting as much as you want. But in the end, you and your friends will never be stronger than me."

As Darren breathed heavily, he turns to Alicia who frowns worriedly at him while still clutching onto her shoulder wound. His eyes widened as he stares wordlessly at her. The frown on her face immediately flooded his mind with painful memories of his past. Memories that he wish he could never be reminded of again…

* * *

Darren, dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and brown pants, froze and helplessly watches a tall student lifting a shorter student up in the air while grabbing onto his collar. The shorter student grits his teeth as he turns to Darren and begged, "Please…help me!"

As the tall student turns his head and glares at him, Darren gasps as he felt his heart beating faster and soon finds himself gritting his teeth and clenching his fists tightly.

"Are really going to hit me?" The tall student said icily to Darren. "Do you really want to hit your best friend?"

"Darren! Help me!" The shorter student cried to him.

"I…" Darren shook his fists uncontrollably, until he uncurls his hand and lowers his head in shame. "I can't…"

"Darren!" The shorter student cried to his friend in despair again.

"I'm sorry, Fandi." Darren murmured hoarsely. "I'm so sorry…"

The taller student smirked and pins the shorter student against the wall. "That's right. Don't hit me. Because I'm your true friend."

* * *

Darren grits his teeth and lowers his head as he trembled. It is that memory again. The memory of the incident that changed his life forever. An incident that made him hate himself for being weak and selfish ever since. He wished that the incident never happened, and how he wished he could go back in time and prevent himself from ever making that mistake.

"So, what will your answer be?" Mala asked as he points his right sword at him. "Will you submit to me?"

Darren's body continue to shake uncontrollably, and for a brief moment, his grip around the hilt of his katana loosened. But suddenly, he curls his fingers and clenches onto his weapon as he looks back up at Mala with his eyes narrowed in rage.

"No! I will not give up! I will never abandon my friends. Not this time!" Darren yelled at Mala.

"Darren…" Alicia uttered as she gazes at him.

"Then accept your fate." Mala muttered in response. Suddenly, Mala swiftly charges over to Darren. Darren couldn't react in time as Mala lifts his right sword up and stabs him in his abdomen.

"DARREN!" Alicia screamed in horror as she watches her friend being stabbed in complete shock.

As he lowers his head, Darren groans in pain as blood began trickling down the side of his mouth. Mala snorted at him before bringing up his left sword above Darren's head. He swings it down, preparing to finish his opponent off.

Suddenly, much to Mala's surprise, Darren swiftly lifts his head up and holds his katana up to block the praetor's sword. Darren snarls at Mala with his eyes narrowed and his teeth gritted.

"Darren!" Alicia cried in surprise with her eyes widened.

"Fool! You still dare to fight back?!" Mala shouted lividly at Darren.

"Like I said…" Darren groans for a moment as more blood trickled down from the other side of his mouth. "I will not give up!"

Mala removes his other sword from Darren's abdomen and tried to swing it horizontally at him. But Darren successfully pushes his other sword back, causing Mala to stagger backwards. Darren swings his katana diagonally a few times at Mala who manages to block them with both swords before he delivers a final vertical swing. Mala swings his swords horizontally to block Darren's katana and the two stayed in another stalemate.

When they felt the ground tremble, Mala turns around and Darren looks up to see Procrustes walking towards them and preparing to swing his swords down on them.

"NO!" Alicia cried in horror as she finally gets up on her feet while still clutching onto her shoulder.

Mala turns back to Darren and yells, "Stand down now! If you don't, we will both die!"

"Never! I'll do whatever it takes to take you down!" Darren shouted at him furiously in response.

"Please! Do as he says! I don't want you to die!" Alicia cried to Darren pleadingly.

"No! I refuse to run away!" Darren yelled in response while still gazing at Mala. "I did that once, and the ones I cared paid the price! I will not let that happen to my friends again!"

"Stop!" Alicia begged. "JUST STOP!"

Without giving a second thought, Alicia bolts over to Darren and wraps her arms around him from behind. Darren widens his eyes in surprise.

"Alicia? What? Why?" Darren asked incredulously as he turns his head to her. Alicia rests her head on his back and closes her eyelids, allowing a few tears of despondency to roll down her cheeks.

"Please Daniel." Alicia sobbed. "I…I don't want you to leave me…"

"Alicia…I…I just…" As Darren struggled to speak, Procrustes now stood behind Mala and brings the sword in his front right hand up, preparing to finish the three humans below him. Mala turns his head around to the statue and gazes at him in horror.

As the statue was about to bring his sword down on them, Darren closes his eyes and finally managed to finish what he had to say, "I regret not being a good friend and son!"

Procrustes suddenly froze in mid-swing. The statue gave a soft gasp as the third orb on his chestplate illuminates.

A few seconds later, Alicia manages to suppress a sob and replied to Darren, "And I regret…not being able to change my fate."

The fourth and final orb on the statue's chestplate light up as well. Procrustes steps away from the humans and lowers all of his weapons as his rage finally dissipates. His eyes softened as he stares down at Darren and Alicia.

"Your remorse…is genuine." Procrustes said calmly to the two.

Mala pushes Darren and Alicia back with his swords, turns around and looks up at the statue. "What?" He uttered.

As Alicia pulls away from her embrace, she and Darren look up at Procrustes in awe as the giant warrior stabs his swords and halberds into the ground. He kneels down on a knee and proceeds to open his chestplate, revealing a bright and shiny orb, illuminated with pink light.

"That…" Darren uttered.

"Is the Orb of Heart!" Mala cried in astonishment.

Procrustes removes the orb from his chest with his left hand as he gazes at Alicia and Darren. He extends his left hand out to Alicia, gesturing her to take the Orb on its palm.

"The Orb of Heart…is yours." Procrustes said soothingly to Alicia. The girl stares at the orb in awe for a moment before she begins to lift her hands up and prepares to take it from the giant warrior.

"NO!" Mala shouted as he gets into his fighting stance with his swords. "The Orb of Heart belongs to the Abbey!" He swiftly charges over to Alicia, preparing to strike her down. But Procrustes swiftly swings his right front arm and swipes Mala away, sending him flying through the air and colliding against the wall hard. Mala yells in pain as he drops his swords and falls onto the ground on his face.

Darren and Alicia stare at Procrustes in awe as the giant warrior turns back to them. After regaining her composure, Alicia proceeds to take the Orb from his left hand. The statue said calmly to her, "It is your duty to protect the Orb of Heart now. Use its power wisely. Never repeat the same mistake as I did."

Alicia stares wordlessly at Procrustes for a moment before giving him a solemn nod. "I won't."

Procrustes' lips curved into a wan smile. "Thank you." He replied before stepping away from the humans.

"Darren!" Natsu cried as he and Lucy, who both fully recover, run over to Darren and Alicia.

"Alicia!" Lucy added in concern. The two members of Fairy Tail gasp upon seeing the shiny object in Alicia's hands. "Is that-"

"The Orb of Heart? Yes." Darren said to Lucy.

Alicia continues gazing at Procrustes in astonishment until she finally uttered in realization, "Procrustes…is Mathew."

"Now go! Leave this place!" Procrustes boomed at the humans as he clenches all four fists tightly. As he turns around and bring his fists up, Natsu, Lucy, Darren and Alicia gasp, realizing what the giant warrior is trying to do.

"He's going to burst open the dam! This entire place is going to be flooded!" Lucy screamed.

"RUN!" Natsu shouted. Without any second thoughts, Natsu, Lucy, Darren and Alicia whirl about and run their way out of the large room while Procrustes began slamming his fists against the wall. Huge cracks are form on the wall with every single punch he made, and large amounts of water burst through them, beginning to flood the extensive area of the dam.

* * *

Nullpudding groans in pain as Erza knocks him back with one of her shields. After sprawling through the ground, Noel, Makoto, Judith and Karol surround Nullpudding and aim their weapons at them.

"It's over, Nullpudding." Noel said sternly to him.

Nullpudding snarls at them for a moment before he sniggered evilly. "Fools, do you really think you can stop all of us?" He asked.

Noel, Makoto, Judith and Karol gasped upon hearing the footsteps of several people approaching them. They and Erza turn around to see all the praetors who had been beaten earlier, including Alisha, had all regain their consciousness and get into their battle stances with their weapons, surrounding them and preparing to fight once more.

Nullpudding laughed as he gets back up while Judith, Karol, Makoto and Noel run back to Erza. The five stand closely to each other as they look around, realizing that they are completely surrounded by over a hundred praetors. As they breathe heavily, they look at each other and solemnly nod their heads. Even if they are getting exhausted, they will continue fighting against the Abbey until their last breath.

Erza and the others get into their fighting stances, preparing to fight Nullpudding and the praetors once again. But suddenly, much to everyone's surprise, huge tremors shook the entire area, causing all of them to stumble.

"What's going on?!" Nullpudding yelled in alarm as everyone regain their balance.

Suddenly, a rock fell from above and hits on top of Alisha's head, knocking her out and causing her to drop her spear. As the praetor collapses onto the floor, several cracks form on the ceiling and more debris began falling from above.

"What's happening?!" Karol screamed in horror as the entire area shook harder.

"This place is going to collapse!" Natsu shouted from a distance. Erza, Karol, Judith, Noel and Makoto look up to see Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Taurus and Happy heading towards them while carrying the Orb of Heart, and both Sheena and Eleanor who are still unconscious.

"We got to get out of here now!" Lucy screamed.

Nullpudding widens his eyes and gapes his mouth open upon seeing the Orb in Alicia's arms.

"The Orb of Heart!" Nullpudding cried before turning his head to his soldiers. "Praetors! Capture th-what?"

Nullpudding cuts himself off when he sees his praetors panicked and screamed in sheer terror as they toss their weapons aside, turn to the direction of the exit and flee for their lives.

"Let's get out of here!" One of the squad leaders shrieked in terror.

"I don't want to die in here!" Another praetor cried hysterically as he ran along with his fellow soldiers.

"Run!" Another praetor screamed.

"No! Come back! Grab the Orb of Heart from them!" Nullpudding yelled at his soldiers while pointing his finger at Natsu and the others. But the soldiers ignored him and continue fleeing. Nullpudding yells again as he stomps his foot, "DAMN YOU ALL!"

Nullpudding growls as he turns back to Natsu and the others before leaping into the air and enlarge his arms and fists. As spikes appear over his body, he pulls back his spiked left fist and roars ferociously as he falls towards Alicia, preparing to-

Natsu swiftly responded by swinging his left flaming fist directly into Nullpudding's abdomen, sending him slamming against the wall beside them. As Nullpudding collapses onto the floor and slips into unconsciousness, Natsu snorted at him before turning to his friends.

"Let's go!" Natsu yelled at them. "And someone take ass-chin along with us!"

"You got it!" Taurus obliged as he passes the unconscious Eleanor to Darren. After the Celestial Spirit carries Nullpudding up in his arms, he and the others regroup with Erza, Karol, Judith and Noel and they all run their way out of the dam together.

Not wanting to leave Alisha behind to a gruesome fate, Makoto picks her up from the floor, cradles the unconscious praetor in her arms and catches up to her friends from behind.

When they heard a loud rushing sound, Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Darren and Alicia turn their heads around for a moment to see huge amounts of water making their way towards them in the distance, causing them to panic.

"RUN FASTER!" Erza screamed as they all look back to their front.

"WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!" Karol screamed in horror.

"It's been an honour fighting alongside all of you!" Judith cried as she closes her eyes, grimly accepting her fate. Noel turns around and froze as the water finally catches up to all of them.

"NOOOOO!" Noel screamed as she holds up her hands.

* * *

There was nothing but dead silence at the entrance of the dam for a few moments, before it is soon broken by huge amounts of water bursting out from it. The water flows rapidly through the once emptied river bed through Loegres, finally bringing back life to the empty streets of the city. And when the water collides against the walls that barricaded the Spiegel River, the powerful force of its currents burst through them, reopening the river bed and reconnecting the city to the rest of the world once again.

Medea, who had been sitting in the boat at the pier the whole time, watched in astonishment as water flows out of Loegres and through the Spiegel River.

"They did it." She uttered before she quickly starts the boat and makes her way over to the reopened entrance to the city.

"Lieutenant Vermillion! Lieutenant Nanaya! Erza! Natsu! Anyone!" Medea calls out in concern as she sails through the city's river bed.

"Anyone! Please answer me!" Medea cried once more, hoping that at least one of her allies had survived their mission. Suddenly, her cries were answered when an enormous magical sphere burst out from the water below and in front of Medea. Medea yelps as she quickly stops the boat in front of the sphere. The hooded knight widens her eyes and drops her jaw in awe. "I don't believe it…"

Medea sees that inside the magical sphere were Noel and the others, along with three unconscious praetors. As Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Erza, Makoto, Karol, Judith, Happy and Taurus are sitting down and looking at their surroundings in awe, while Sheena, Eleanor, Alisha and Nullpudding still remain unconscious, Noel is standing in the centre with her arms extended out. The Rune Knight too is incredulous to find herself inside a magical sphere that seems to be created…by her.

"What…is this?" Noel uttered as she looks around.

"This sphere…it looks so familiar." Lucy said before she widens her eyes in realization. "Could it be…Fairy Sphere?!" Erza and Happy gasped in response.

"What?!" Natsu cried incredulously.

Noel frowns in confusion as she uttered once more, "I…I don't know what's going on…"

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to AquaBluey and Ushindeshi for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks!**

 **P.S.: No. I did not make a mistake when I type Daniel. *Wink***


	19. Grievances, Part 5

_**Grievances, Part 5**_

The next morning, thousands of people erupt with cheers and hooting as they gathered around the town square of Port Zekson to celebrate the liberation of Loegres. Several townspeople of both Port Zekson and Loegres help each other build up a huge pile of wood at the centre of the town square, which they set it up on fire and use it to burn all the rotten fish while Wendy, Charle, Happy and Medea use their wind magic to blow away the stench that had plagued the town for so long.

When they are done, the townspeople gathered more wood to keep the fire burning and began dancing and celebrating around it. With both the awful stench and the rotten fish gone, the townspeople couldn't help but feel ecstatic and relieved that after two months, they finally gain their freedom from the Abbey. And as they dance their heart out, Team Natsu, Yuri, Estelle, Karol and Judith couldn't help but join in on the celebrations as well.

Near the large campfire, a group of men are playing country music with their instruments while most of the people gathered in the town square joyfully perform the line dance. Happy, Carla, Gray, Wendy, Erza, Karol and Judith chortled as they dance along with them, while the other townspeople, mostly children, watch from a distance and clap their hands.

"Judith! Isn't this party great or what?" Karol asked Judith, who danced beside him, as he panted.

"Indeed! We did free both Port Zekson and Loegres after all!" Judith replied with a grin.

"Judith…" Karol said as he and Judith stop and stare at each other while the others continue dancing. "I just want to say, thank you for sticking with me despite being a member of a different race."

"You're welcome." Judith smiled at him. "Human or demihuman, it doesn't matter who we are. All it matters is that we share a common goal in saving this world from the Abbey, and I don't want our cultural differences to get in the way."

"Judith, I promise to continue working hard to become one of the greatest guild masters in all of Fiore, and promote a world where both humans and demihumans can forgive each other and co-exist in peace." Karol said solemnly.

"And I'll stay by your side to help you fulfil that goal." Judith vowed with a confident smile.

Karol and Judith smiled at each other for a moment until the former is interrupted by Wendy's giggle. He turns around to see Wendy and Gray laughing as they dance together with the other townspeople. Karol pouts and clenches his fists as he watched the two, but Judith also noticed that his cheeks are blushing. She nudges Karol on the back, causing the boy to turn around.

"Go on. Do it while you still have the chance." Judith said, gesturing Karol to go over to Wendy. Karol nods his head before he turns back to Wendy and Gray and goes over to them. After approaching them, Karol gave a cough, getting their attention.

"What is it?" Wendy asked as she and Gray stare at Karol questioningly. To their surprise, Karol extends his hand out to Wendy.

"C-c-can I?" Karol managed to ask. Wendy continues staring at Karol in awe for a moment before a smile sweeps across her face.

"Of course." Wendy replied before grabbing Karol's hand, much to the boy's surprise.

"Very well then, I'll leave you two alone." Gray said with a lopsided smirk.

"Ahahahaha, thanks." Karol replied sheepishly before Gray turns and walks away.

"Come on! Let's dance!" Wendy squealed. Much to his surprise, Wendy pulls Karol over to her and the girl wraps her hand around the back of his shoulders. Karol blushed as he slowly wraps his other hand around the back of her waist. Wendy smiled at him again as the two slowly began doing the square dance.

"I heard from Judith that you fought very well in Loegres." Wendy said to him.

"Ahahahaha, yeah. I guess so." Karol replied nervously as he shifts his eyes away from Wendy for a moment.

"Great job. I'm proud of you." Wendy said. Karol looks back at Wendy with his eyes widened and his cheeks reddened, and a few seconds later, his lips also formed into a wide smile. Wendy giggled as the two continue dancing together.

While sitting on a nearby bench, Yuri smiled as he watched Wendy and Karol dancing together from a distance. His thoughts were soon interrupted when Estelle walks over and greeted him, "Hey there."

Yuri turns his head to the side to see Estelle smiling at him with her hands placed in front of her waist.

"Oh hey Estelle. Aren't you attending to Darren, Alicia and Sheena?" Yuri asked.

"Just finished. Now I'm here to join the festivities." Estelle replied. "But why aren't you?"

"Meh, I'm not interested." Yuri shrugged.

"Seriously? You're going to pass a possibly once-in-a-lifetime celebration by just sitting here?" Estelle asked incredulously. Yuri remains silent as he turns his head away. Estelle pouts at him before she goes over and grabs Yuri by his hand.

"What?" Yuri briefly said dumbfounded before Estelle pulls his arm, causing him to get up from the bench. With a gentle smile on her face, Estelle gestures Yuri to the campfire and the dancers. Knowing that he can't reject the woman's kind request, Yuri lets out a sigh and gave a wan smile to Estelle. The two go over to the dancers before turning to each other. While still clinging onto his left hand, Estelle uses her other hand to wrap around the back of Yuri's waist. Yuri chuckled as he proceeds to wrap his right hand around the back of Estelle's shoulders.

"Just do what I do." Estelle instructed him before the two slowly perform the square dance together along with the music. Yuri chuckled again as he soon finds himself dancing with her and joining in on the festivities.

Meanwhile, Noel and Makoto stood nearby and watch the celebration with smiles on their faces. Makoto lets out a blissful sigh as she places her fists at the sides of her hip.

"Ah, joy and celebration after gaining their freedom and liberation from the Abbey. I sure do love a happy ending to this story." Makoto commented.

"Aye, me too. However, our war against the Abbey is not over yet. So we will have to regroup with the rest of the Rune Knights and continue the fight." Noel said solemnly to Makoto, who nods her head in agreement. But shortly after, Noel's lips curved into a smile as she added, "But for now, let's take this opportunity to rest and celebrate after a job well done."

"You got it, lieutenant!" Makoto replied with a stomp and a salute. Noel chuckled in response.

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

Noel and Makoto turn around to see two men walking over to them. The two knights immediately recognize them.

"Hey, aren't you two the guys who yelled at us and the mayor the other day?" Makoto inquired.

"Y-yes." The bald man said sheepishly as he and the other man with short black hair lower their heads in shame. "Ma'am, we're…really sorry for what we did."

"What we did and said to you was really mean and uncalled for. Please forgive us." The black haired man said apologetically as the two men bow down to Noel and Makoto.

Noel and Makoto smiled at the two before the latter said to them, "It's okay. We forgive you."

"But honestly, we owe you an apology as well." Noel added. "Far too often, we are so focused on the war against our enemy that we forget the feelings of the civilians who were affected by it."

The two men stood up and smile back at Noel and Makoto before they shook hands with the two Rune Knights.

"Noel Vermillion?"

After releasing the men's hands, Noel and Makoto turn their heads to see Erza walking over to the former.

"Erza Scarlet?" Noel asked.

"May I ask you something?" Erza requested with a warm smile.

Finally, Natsu and Lucy are sitting together at a nearby bench, watching the celebration and their fellow guild mates dancing along with the members of Brave Vesperia and the townspeople. Lucy chuckled before she turns to Natsu, who is holding two kebabs in his hands.

"I'm really glad that the people of Port Zekson and Loegres got their freedom again." Lucy said to Natsu.

Natsu takes a bite of the kebab in his right hand before turning to Lucy. "Reah, me toh." Natsu replied with his mouth full.

After Natsu swallows his food, Lucy sighs and said, "You know, I really thought that because we were unable to take down Procrustes back at the dam, we were done for."

"I thought so too. I thought after Acnologia, I would never face another formidable foe again. I was wrong." Natsu said with a pensive frown.

Lucy places her hand on top of Natsu's thigh. "Natsu…I was actually scared of losing and dying back there, and it also made me contemplate what would happen to Earth Land if we did."

Natsu took a moment to stare wordlessly at his friends and the townspeople who are still dancing and celebrating their victory and freedom. He turns back to Lucy and replied, "If we did, none of these people would be celebrating right now. All our friends back at Fairy Tail would be mourning for us. And both Port Zekson and Loegres would still be under the Abbey's control."

"Despite having so many adventures with all of you, there are still so many things in this world that I want to discover, Natsu." Lucy said.

"Me too. And I want to do it with all of my friends, including you." Natsu said.

Lucy blushed as she nods her head. "Natsu, when our fight against the Abbey is over, let's go back to our normal duties at the guild." Lucy said to him with a small smile.

"I look forward to that day too." Natsu smirked. As Lucy gazes at her friend, she began to contemplate what Darren and Karol had said to her before.

" _Hmm, you two like each other."_

" _Yeah, I mean how calm and relaxed these two sound whenever they talk to each other, isn't it obvious?"_

Lucy flinched at her memories. She hadn't forgotten what they said after the battle of Hargeon that night, and she cannot deny that what they said is partially true. Lucy could remember all the times she and Natsu spent together, both during their missions and their leisure. Like the time when Natsu brought a piece of the Blossom-viewing Festival to her apartment when she was ill, and the time when she managed to escape from her cell at Edolas, rescued Natsu and restoring his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. After helping each other and working together for the last nine years, Lucy truly has developed feelings for Natsu. But it can't have blossomed into love as well. Can it?

Lucy looks up at Natsu and struggled to speak out, "N-Natsu?"

"Oh! I just remembered now!" Natsu exclaimed with his eyes widened.

"Huh?" Lucy arches an eyebrow.

"Darren, Alicia and Sheena are still in the clinic! It's a shame that they are missing out all the fun because they have to recover from their injuries. But we should go see them!" Natsu suggested to Lucy with a huge grin.

Lucy smiled back at him and nods her head in agreement. "You're absolutely right! Let's go check up on them!" She replied.

Without saying another word, Natsu ecstatically gets up from the bench and makes his way to the clinic. Lucy sat there and lets out a disappointed sigh.

' _I'll ask him some other time, I guess.'_ Lucy mentally said to herself before she gets up and follows Natsu from behind.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the town's clinic, Darren and Sheena are resting inside a room and lying beside each other on different beds as the former shared his friend what happened at the dam yesterday. Thanks to Wendy's and Estelle's healing magic, they, Alicia and the unconscious praetors have since recovered from their injuries, but still required some rest before they can get back up to their feet.

"So let me get this straight, that big statue thing, Procrustes, destroyed the wall, allowing water to flow through the city of Loegres again and just as we are all about to drown, Noel suddenly creates a huge freaking sphere that saved and protected us." Sheena said to Darren with her hands placed on her pillow and behind her head.

"Yup, pretty much." Darren replied as he looked back at her.

Sheena's lips curved into a huge smile. "I'm glad we survived that whole ordeal, Darren." She said.

"Me too. But we got ourselves injured, and it hurts so much." Darren said grimly as he looks up at the ceiling. "That is why…I will continue to grow stronger."

Sheena frowns and turns her gaze away from Darren momentarily. After curling her fingers into fists, she looked back at Darren and spoke up, "Darren, I-"

"Darren!"

Darren and Sheena turn their heads to the doorway in front of them to see Alicia and Medea standing there. They can see that Alicia is now standing on her feet, with bandages strapped around and over her left shoulder and both upper arms.

"Alicia." Darren uttered. Alicia smiled back at him as small tears form in her eyes.

"Thank goodness…" Alicia said softly. She rushes over to the right side of Darren's bed and wraps her arms around him, causing Sheena to widen her eyes and drop her jaw. Suddenly, Alicia winced as she removes her arms around Darren and backs away.

"Don't hurt yourself, Alicia. Your friends may have healed you but you can't allow your wounds to reopen." Medea warned.

"Yeah." Alicia chuckled.

Darren laughed as well before he sits up from his bed. "Can we do this again and not hurt yourself this time?" He asked Alicia.

"Sure." Alicia nods her head. Darren precedes to wraps his arms around Alicia, who slowly raises her arms and carefully puts them around his shoulders. When she succeeded, Alicia leans forward and rests her head on Darren's shoulder. Sheena stares wordlessly at them for a moment before she lets out a moan and stretches her arms.

"Alright, while you two have your moment, let me just go out for a walk." Sheena said as she sits up and gets off from her bed

"Are you sure, Sheena?" Darren asked as he and Alicia temporarily break away from their embrace.

"Relax, I'll be fine." Sheena flashes a grin at them.

"Don't walk away too far from here." Medea informed Sheena. "Understand?"

"I won't." Sheena replied as she stood up. Darren and Alicia watch Sheena walks past Medea and leaves the room before looking back at each other again. They smile and pull themselves into a warm embrace again.

Unbeknownst to them and Medea, Sheena stood outside of the room and looked back at her friend and Alicia. With her teeth gritted and her fists clenched, hot tears begin forming in her eyes. As soon as she turns her head away, Sheena hastily walks out of the clinic while carrying the pain that is now aching inside her heart. She makes her way to the back of the clinic and leans her back against the wall. With tears now trickling down the cheeks, Sheena lowers her head and wraps her arms around herself as she felt cold.

Ever since Darren forged new friendships with the members of Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia, Sheena felt that she had grown more and more distant from him, and it hurts her heart to know that she never received the same sense of acknowledgement from him again after leaving Underwood.

As his friend, Sheena truly cared for Darren, but she was never able to confess her feelings to him because of her cold personality. But she still hoped that somewhere inside his heart, Darren shared the same feelings towards her. But it appears that it is all hopeless now, as Darren had instead given his heart to Alicia, who is able to open herself up to him before she did.

Sheena tried to get Darren's attention from time to time by tagging along with him in their last two battles. But she knew that their last mission wouldn't have been so problematic for her and the others if she had not sabotaged their original plan to infiltrate the dam. And it is because of her recklessness; Darren got himself injured by the praetors. Sheena wipes away her tears as she became overwhelmed with a sense of guilt and defeat.

"I guess…I guess we are not meant to be together…" Sheena managed to choke out as she finally came to a realization. She closes her eyes and continued standing there in painful silence while being wrapped around by her own arms. _'I…I'll be alright…on my own.'_

Back at the clinic, Darren and Alicia break away from their embrace and stare into each other's eyes for a moment.

"Alicia…back at the dam, you mentioned a name. Daniel. Who is he?" Darren inquired, breaking the silence between them.

Alicia lets out a soft gasp and stares wordlessly at Darren for a moment. "Well…" She struggled to speak as she pushes a few strands of hair away from her eyes. "He was…a very important person in my life."

"You mentioned that you don't want me, or Daniel, to leave you. And you also regret that you were unable to change your fate." Darren places his palm above Alicia's hand. "Alicia…I also had people in my past who were very important to me. People who I wished…" He frowned as he began to feel his heart ache. "Who I wished I could have been by their side. Like my father and my friend."

Alicia remained silent for a few moments before letting out a deep sigh.

"Daniel…was my brother." Alicia replied. "He was going to be the heir to my parents' medical company. And as an older sibling, he supported me in my dreams of becoming an environmentalist. But one day…" Alicia paused as her eyes grew cold. "He died in a car accident. And shortly after his death, my parents began pressuring me to work hard and solely focus in my studies so that I can take his place in becoming the heir to their medical company. My dreams of becoming an environmentalist were dashed and I lost all of my friends. And I'm supposed to begin studying in the University of Auckland three months from now."

"Car accident? Auckland?" Darren uttered as his eyes widened. "That means…"

Alicia nods her head. "I'm not an Earth Lander. I'm actually from Earth. And I was born in Wellington, New Zealand."

Darren gasped and asked, "You were teleported here from my world too?" Alicia nodded again. "But why? Why did you hide the truth from me?"

"Because…" Alicia took a gulp, trying to suppress her sobs. But it proved useless as Alicia proceeds to close her eyelids, letting her tears roll down her cheeks, as she wailed, "Because I don't want to go back!"

Darren watched as Alicia fell on her knees and plants her face on the side of his bed, sobbing uncontrollably in despair. He frowned as he gently places his hand on her head.

"I just…I really don't want to go back…" Alicia struggled to speak between her sobs. "If I do…I'll just be a prisoner under my parents' control…but if I stay here…if I stay with Brave Vesperia…I can live the rest of my life as an environmentalist…exploring new worlds…plants…and wildlife…just what I've always dreamt of!"

As Alicia continues to cry, Darren strokes her head in a vain attempt to comfort her. He lets out a heavy sigh and responded, "I…I'm so sorry, Alicia. I wish I could help you…I really do." Alicia looked up at Darren with tearstained eyes after she finally managed to bring her sobs to a halt.

"And what about you? You said back at the dam…that you wish you could have been a better son and friend." Alicia asked softly, ending it with a sniff. Darren looks back up at the ceiling and briefly bites down on his lower lip.

"I…I never got along with my father. But it was my own fault that things turn out that way. My father was very strict, always wanting me to grow up, be mature and become a better person as I'm about to enter adulthood. But I was ignorant. I was playful, mischievous…and uncaring." Darren explained. Alicia stares wordlessly at Darren, surprised to hear a side of her friend that she never thought he would be.

"I was a really bad person, to the point that I…ended up joining a gang in school." Darren continued. "But there was someone in my class who actually cared for me. His name was Wahid. Even though I was rude and cold towards everyone in my class, Wahid just…follows me around, asking me what kind of person I am, what things I like, and so on. I kept ignoring him at first. But eventually, somehow, he did it. He actually managed to break through the icy shell of my heart…and before I knew it, I…actually formed a connection with him." Darren chuckled for a moment. "We truly became friends afterwards. And for a while, I felt as if I finally found my happiness, and a reason to live."

"What happened to Wahid?" Alicia asked. Darren remained silent for a few moments as he frowned again. But eventually, he managed to regain control of his vocal cords and answered her question.

"But then, one day at school…my gang planned on attacking Wahid. Apparently, the leader said that Wahid, being the Good Samaritan he is, reported him to the principal after spotting him doing something against the rules within the school premises. He was really pissed off with what he did, and that's why he and the gang want to get their petty revenge on him. I couldn't believe it was actually Wahid that they were after. And because I was a member of the gang, I was unfortunately obligated to follow them." Darren explained. "When the gang and I found him after school, the leader proceeds to beat him up. And Wahid…" He paused to take a deep breath. "Actually begged me to help him. But..." He stopped again to take a gulp. "I can't. I couldn't disobey my leader. So in the end, Wahid was beaten up horribly by my gang…" Small tears began to brim in his eyes as Darren grits his teeth. "While his useless friend…just stand there…watching…and doing nothing. Eventually, the gang and I were caught by the teachers…and we all got suspended from school for a week. And if that wasn't enough…during my suspension, when my father came home one night…he just collapsed on the floor. My mother and I quickly took him to the hospital where the doctor told us that he had been suffering from leukaemia, and we failed to notice it sooner. My mother and I did everything we could to save him. But in the end…it was all for naught. My father died three months later. And when I return to school…I tried to beg for forgiveness…but Wahid never spoke to me again. I have lost both a father…and a friend." As Darren couldn't hold back his tears anymore, he closes his eyes and lets out a yell of sorrow and frustration, "And I have no one to blame by myself!"

Alicia silently gazed at him as Darren began crying in inconsolable grief, with her expression is badly distorted by the emotional pain that tore through her heart. During her time with Darren in Earth Land, he had proven to her that he is a kind and caring person who is determined to become a stronger fighter to protect his friends, and willing to help someone in need as he had shown with her and Allelujah. But learning that he used to be a terrible person who disobeys his parents and betrayed his friends had somewhat soiled her knowledge of him. Even though Darren had expressed regret over what he had done, a sane person would naturally never show forgiveness and sympathy to someone who had done such horrible things in the past again. But Alicia still couldn't help but feel conflicted over Darren. Should she continue being his friend, or join the rest of society in turning their back on someone who has committed such unforgivable actions?

"Darren, I-"

"Alicia…" Darren replied flatly as he furiously brought his sobs to a halt. "Just don't. I think…you should just…stay away from me."

"But Darren-"

"Did you hear me?!" Darren shouted unhappily. "Don't ever go near a monster like me ever again!"

Alicia grits her teeth and clenches her fists. Without any second thoughts, Alicia leans over to Darren and gently wraps her arms around his shoulders again, much to his surprise.

"No. I'm staying with you." Alicia said softly as she rests her head against his.

"W-why?" Darren asked as he slightly turns his head to her, not caring that a stray tear had rolled down his cheek. "Why would you still stay…even after what I've done?"

"I know what you did may be unforgivable." Alicia whispered as she closes her eyelids. "But right now…you need somebody to comfort you. Someone whom you can lean on after going through such a horrible ordeal. Until I met Karol and his guild, I long for that feeling as well after I lost my brother and hopes of achieving my dream career. Now…I'm going to help you too."

Darren stares at Alicia in awe for a moment before he closes his eyes and leans his head against hers, letting themselves stayed in their warm and silent embrace.

"Thank you…" Darren whispered to her. He could feel Alicia slightly nods her head in response.

"Count us in as well." Natsu suddenly spoke up, causing Medea to turn around and see him and Lucy standing behind her. Darren and Alicia snap their eyes open and are equally surprised to see them inside the clinic.

"Natsu? Lucy?" Darren said to them incredulously.

"What are you guys doing here? And how long have you been here?" Alicia inquired.

"Actually, we stepped in here a while ago." Lucy replied as she grabs hold of her left upper arm with her right hand. "And…Natsu and heard everything you two said to each other."

"So you're from Earth, just like Darren huh?" Natsu asked Alicia

"Yes." Alicia nods her head in shame. "Sorry I didn't tell you all earlier."

Natsu and Lucy walk into the room and go over to the sides of Darren's bed. Lucy gave a tender smile to Alicia as she places her hand on her back, while Natsu, who stood at the other side of the bed, grins at Darren as he firmly places his hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay Darren. We're still going to stay by your side no matter what." Natsu said to Darren reassuringly.

"What?" Darren replied incredulously. "I…don't understand. How can you guys accept me so easily, despite what I've done back on Earth?"

"Remember Gajeel and Juvia? They too have committed bad things in the past when they were members of Phantom Lord. But they have since redeemed themselves and truly became our friends." Lucy replied. "And it's not just them either. Throughout my time with Fairy Tail, I have encountered many people who started out as enemies of our guild. But they have since learnt the error of their ways, and apologize to us for what they did. And no matter how bad they were, and how much damage they have caused to us and our guild, we still forgive them. Because in Fairy Tail, we believe that friendship and unity is power. And friendship and unity is always achieved through forgiveness and understanding."

"And that's why we believe you can change too, Darren." Natsu added with a smirk. "And you've already proven that to us by enduring Erza's training and helping Allelujah regain his self-confidence, right?"

A few more stray tears roll down his cheeks as Darren continued staring wordlessly at Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer gave a gentle pat on Darren's shoulder before he continued, "We ain't giving up on you yet, Darren. And you shouldn't either."

Darren turns his head to Lucy and Alicia, who both smiled at him as well. Eventually, Darren's lips finally curved into a wide smile as more tears began to form in his eyes.

"Thank you, all of you." Darren uttered to everyone around him.

"Darren, I don't know if this will make you feel better. But I know how it feels to live your life with an unbearable amount of guilt." Medea spoke up. Darren wipes away his tears as he, Alicia, Lucy and Natsu stare at her questioningly.

"What do you mean?" Darren asked.

"It's hard to believe. But back in France, I have committed many murders on people who ruined my life, and those who were innocent." Medea said grimly.

"France?" Alicia said as her eyes widened.

Medea nods her head. "Just like you, Darren and Alicia, I am from Earth. And I was teleported to Earth Land while I was serving my indefinite life sentence in a prison in Paris."

"Ooohh, so you are the one named 'Madison', who told the Magic Council that she is from Paris." Natsu said in realization.

"Because I have killed so many people, and broke the hearts of their relatives, I was prepared to live the rest of my life behind bars, in guilt and shame. But when I was teleported into this world, I took this opportunity to start anew. To make up for all of my past sins by becoming a Rune Knight, who fights for justice and protect the innocent. And while it will never bring back the lives of those who I've killed, I can at least find peace knowing that I've outgrown my past self ever since." Medea explained. "Darren Leong, I hope you too will find your peace as well."

After contemplating what Medea had told him, Darren nods his head and replied solemnly, "Thank you Medea. I hope so too."

"Good luck Darren." Medea said with a warm smile. "And look out for your new friends as well. The people whom you are connected with are always worth cherishing."

* * *

The next day, Darren, Alicia, Sheena, Yuri, Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia are now on board Noel's ship and preparing to continue their journey to Mizuho by sailing through the Spiegel River, now that the passageway through Loegres is opened again. They are surprised to see the mayor and the residents of Port Zekson standing at the side of the river, preparing to bid farewell to their heroes.

"Everyone! Let us bid farewell to our liberators and wish them all good luck in their fight against the Abbey!" The mayor proclaimed with a wide smile. The townspeople cheered and wave goodbye to them. Among the crowd, Medea and Makoto simply smiled as they look up at them on the ship while Eleanor, Alisha and Nullpudding, who grits his teeth furiously, kneel down in front of them with their cuffed wrists placed behind their backs.

"Goodbye everyone!" Lucy cried to everyone in the town as she and her friends wave their hands back at them.

"Stay safe and strong!" Wendy added.

"Thanks for your hospitality!" Karol shouted.

"We promise to kick the Abbey's butts once and for all!" Natsu yelled enthusiastically.

A few seconds later, Darren, Alicia, Sheena, Yuri, Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia felt the ship starting to move. The townspeople cheered even louder as they watch the heroes begin to make their departure.

As Noel steps out of the quarterdeck and enters the front deck of the ship, everyone turn to her as the Rune Knight asked, "Are you ready to continue your journey to Mizuho?"

"You bet we are!" Natsu grins at her as he holds up his clenched fist. Lucy, Wendy, Gray, Erza, Happy and Carla nod their heads as they smile confidently at Noel.

"And thank you for joining and providing us transport, Noel." Alicia said with gratitude.

"Wait? Transport?" Natsu said incredulously with his eyes wide in shock as he lowers his fist.

"Um, yeah. Can you see we are on a boat?" Alicia said to him.

"Oh no…" Natsu groaned as the colour of his skin drained.

"Oh dear." Lucy lets her arms hang limply at her sides as Natsu proceeds to run over to the empty barrel placed at the other side of the ship and throw out the contents. Everybody else present on the deck sigh heavily.

"Anyways, it is my pleasure, Alicia." Noel said to Alicia. "And you can thank Erza too. She was the one who requested me to come along with all of you."

"I requested her to travel with us because at the end of our last mission, Noel used the Fairy Sphere to protect us from getting drowned." Erza explained to everyone present on the deck. Gray, Wendy and Carla gasped.

"Fairy Sphere?" Estelle said in confusion.

"It is the same magic skill that our guild's founder, Mavis Vermillion, ever used." Lucy replied to her.

"Lucy also once used the Fairy Sphere during our second fight against Acnologia. So the magic skill has a close connection to our guild." Happy added.

"And even though it is all still speculation, we believe that because Noel is able to perform the Fairy Sphere, she does have some connection to Mavis and our guild after all." Erza said, ending it by turning her head to Noel.

"Even though I still believe that I only share her last name and not her flesh and blood, I'm still willing to join all of you in finding Mavis, because I need to confirm with her if we are truly related to each other." Noel said.

"Then welcome to the group, Noel." Gray said to her with a warm smile. Noel nods her head as she smiles back at him.

"But what about your friends, Medea and Makoto?" Yuri asked.

"We've already contacted the Magic Council to provide transportation for Medea and Makoto to bring them and the prisoners back to Era. Eleanor Hume, Alisha Diphda and Nullpudding will be brought to questioning, the latter will obviously face far worse consequences than any other praetor we've captured before." Noel said, winking an eye at him.

"I guess there's nothing left to worry about then." Darren said. After Natsu finished throwing out his contents, he lifts his head up and turns back to everyone present on the deck.

"Then let's continue our mission to find Mavis, travel to Mizuho and take down the Abbey once and for all!" Natsu shouted ecstatically as he throws his fist up into the air once again.

"YEEEAAAHHH!" Everybody on the deck raised their fists and cheered as well.

After lowering their arms, Darren and Alicia look back and smile at each other. Sheena, who stood nearby, sighs inwardly and turns her head away from them. Erza and Noel walk over to her and the former gave her a pat on her shoulder.

"Come on Sheena." Erza said to Sheena, causing her to lift her head up and stare back at her. "Lead the way to Mizuho."

Sheena manages to crack a wan smile at Erza and nods her head. "Understood."

As everyone proceeds to head inside the interior of the ship, they are completely unaware that someone is following them. Following the ship from behind by a few kilometres apart is a small boat, driven by a certain woman with long black hair and gold-brown eyes, currently dressed in a dark brown cloak with a hood over her head.

With one hand controlling the engine of her boat, Velvet murmured as she gazes at the ship with a solemn frown, "Wait for me, Fairy Tail."

* * *

Meanwhile, Mala Makra breathed heavily with sweat furiously trickling down the sides of his head. He is currently inside a dark room, lying on a metal table with his helmet and armour removed, and his arms and legs restrained by metal clamps.

Mala turns his head side to side and trying to move his limbs in vain until he heard the door opened. Mala froze in horror as he slowly turns his head to the front. His eyes widened and his mouth agape as a woman, dressed in brown clothing and her black hair tied to a bun, approaches him. Her lips curved up into a malicious smirk as she adjusts her glasses.

"You're in for a real treat today, my precious subject." The woman said amusingly before she slowly holds up a syringe.

As the woman advanced upon him, Mala could only let out a scream of horror which echoes throughout the room and hallways.

* * *

 **Sovereign: And that's finally the end of the** _ **'Grievances'**_ **story arc. Stay tune for the next chapter and read and review!**


	20. The Maid of Zinnia, Part 1

_**The Maid of Zinnia, Part 1**_

Just only a day after leaving Port Zekson and sailing through Loegres, Team Natsu and the others find themselves stopping at the side of the river. The main reason why they are taking a break from their journey is because…well…the ship has ran out of fuel and Noel has forgotten to buy coal for its engines, even after all the time she and her squad spent on Port Zekson. Luckily, Lucy discovered from her map that the small town of Zinnia is located nearby from where they have parked their ship.

After the ship came to a halt at the side of the river, Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia, Darren, Alicia, Sheena step outside while the remaining member of Noel's squad stays behind.

"I'll stay here to guard the ship. You go on ahead and get the coal for us, ma'am." The Rune Knight said to Noel as they stood at the port of the ship.

"Thank you, Emmanuel." Noel nods her head to the brown-haired man. Emmanuel smirks as he slightly lifts up his cap and nods back to his superior. Afterwards, Noel turns around, walks down the ramp and rejoins the others.

"HOORAY FOR LAND! HOORAY FOR LAND! HOORAY FOR LAND! HOORAY FOR LAND!" Natsu and Happy both dance and pump their fists and paws into the air, the former expressing his relief that he is no longer standing in a moving vehicle. Lucy gazes at her map while the others watch Natsu and Happy in bewilderment.

"How old is Natsu again?" Darren asked Gray.

"Chronologically 400 years old, but he definitely still holds the brain of a 10-year-old even after all those years." Gray replied.

Alicia chuckled before folding her arms. "Come on, you guys. Let them have their fun. We gotta enjoy as much as we can before our next inevitable fight with the Abbey."

"Well," Darren shrugged. "At least it's still a lot more fun than listening to Erza's lectures."

As Darren and Alicia laughed at each other, Sheena silently stares at them with a solemn frown before turning her head to Lucy.

"So where's the town?" Sheena asked Lucy softly.

"It's at the northeast direction, about a mile away from our current location. So we'll probably reach there by foot in 15 minutes." Lucy replied to Sheena as she carefully folds her map and puts it into her pocket.

"Alright. Then let's keep going." Erza said.

"This way, everyone!" Lucy cried to everyone as she raises her hand and begins walking her way to the direction of the town.

As everyone begins following Lucy from behind, Sheena also notices Karol and Wendy conversing with each other. She turns her head to Yuri and Estelle when she heard the former's deadpanned voice.

"Oh great, more walking. Never experienced that before." Yuri said dryly with his hands behind his head.

"Don't worry, Yuri. It's only fifteen minutes before we reach town." Estelle said encouragingly as she gave a pat on Yuri's back.

Sheena sighs sadly as she lowers her head. A moment later, she looks back up and began following the others from behind when someone suddenly nudge her arm with her elbow, much to her surprise. She turns her head and to see Erza standing beside her.

"Hey, what's up?" Erza asked the troubled woman.

"Well…" Sheena murmured as her eyes softened. "Do you think I'm a burden to all of you? I mean it was my fault that our last mission didn't go as we planned." Erza smiled warmly at her as she places her hand on Sheena's shoulder.

"Stop thinking negatively about yourself and move forward." Erza said calmly to her. "I used to be just like you. Back then, I hated myself for not being strong enough to save my friends who were also slaves like me, so I stayed away from others during my early days as a member of Fairy Tail. But I have since been able to move on thanks to the kindness that the guild had shown me. If you had any problems, you can always share with me, or anybody else. Got it?"

Sheena could only nod her head silently in response. Erza gestures her to follow the others from behind and make their way to Zinnia.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Velvet was kneeling on a large branch of a nearby tree and watching them under the shadows the whole time. She turns her gaze away from them for a moment to contemplate what she had heard Erza said.

"Move forward, huh?" Velvet murmured to herself. When she looks back and watches Team Natsu and the others walking away, Velvet began leaping stealthily from tree to tree, secretly following them from behind.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, everyone arrived at Zinnia, which is a small town surrounded by tall trees, and it consists of several small houses and apartment buildings made of bricks being built closely to each other, as well as a large church located in the middle of the town square. At the outskirts of Zinnia, there are several farmhouses with large vegetable and wheat fields that help provide food and resources for the town.

Team Natsu and the others look around the houses and the buildings in awe and astonishment as they walk through the streets of Zinnia. Their balconies and exteriors are decorated with flowers and bushes, and long garlands and flag lines are hung from one rooftop to another on the other side, bringing exotic life and beauty to this small and peaceful town.

"This place sure is lively." Noel commented.

"Probably because the Harvest Festival is coming tomorrow." Erza said.

"Oh right!" Lucy cried in realization. "We were so focused on fighting against the Abbey and making our way to Mizuho for the last two months until I forgot all about the holiday."

"Harvest Festival is the time of the year when all the crops the people have grown throughout the year have been harvested, and they hold a celebration to commemorate their hard work, right?" Darren asked Erza.

"That's right." Erza nodded to him.

"We have similar festivities back in our world." Darren said to his mentor before turning to Alicia. "Right, Alicia?"

"Right. My country experiences the harvest festival in the autumn season every year." Alicia said. "We celebrate by sharing our food and drinks with our friends and neighbors, and give prayers to each other, wishing for another safe and wonderful year ahead."

"How do you guys celebrate the festival?" Darren asked the members of Team Natsu.

"Back in Magnolia, we hold a parade where we show off our magic abilities to the public." Natsu said with a grin.

"And we also hold a beauty competition, known as the Miss Fairy Tail Beauty Contest, among all the women in our guild." Lucy added.

"I wish I could see that." Darren murmured. Alicia responded by giving a look of annoyance and a hard nudge on his upper arm, much to Darren's surprise. "Hey!"

"That's very interesting. Makes me wish I could be a member of your guild so that I can show off my body too." Judith smirked as she rubs her chin.

"I wish you won't." Erza mumbled while staring at Judith's chest. Estelle and Noel stare down at their own chests and sigh disappointingly.

When she heard a door opened, Alicia turns her head and sees a middle-aged woman walking out of her floral shop with a watering can and going over to her small flower bed grown outside of her store. Alicia widens her eyes as a huge smile takes form on her face. She rushes over to the flower bed, causing the others to stop and watch her. As the store owner waters her flowers, Alicia kneels down in front of the flower bed to take a closer look.

"They look so beautiful." Alicia commented.

"Why thank you so much." The store owner replied to her with a warm smile as she watered her plants.

"I'm guessing these flowers are gypsophila, right?" Alicia inquired, pointing her finger at some small white flowers.

"Yes, they are." The store owner responded.

Alicia turns her vision to some orange and yellow flowers. She leans her head over to the flowers and smells them. She lets out a blissful sigh after embracing the fragrance of the flowers and said, "And these must be-"

"Marigold." Darren said as he walks over to the flower bed. As Alicia turns her head to him, Darren kneels besides her and said, "The orange ones are Petite Mixed, while the yellow ones, those that are shaped like spheres are Sierra Yellow. And the ones that have frilly petals are Petite Yellow."

"You're absolutely right!" Alicia said in astonishment. "I didn't know you have some knowledge in flowers, Darren."

"Well, my parents run a flowering and fertilizer business back in Singapore." Darren said, smiling back at Alicia.

The store owner chortled at Alicia and Darren and commented, "My, oh my, such a sweet couple who share the same interests and knowledge."

Both Alicia and Darren chuckled in response as their cheeks blush while the others smile at them as they watch from a distance.

"It's good to know that they are feeling better than before." Natsu said as he folds his arms.

"And it's so sweet seeing them together." Lucy added as she places her hands behind her back. She and Natsu turn to each other and smile before the latter looks back at Darren and Alicia. Unbeknownst to Natsu, as Lucy turns her head away from him, she stares down at the brick road and blushes at the thoughts of she and the Fire Dragon Slayer possibly ending up being a couple just like them.

"Ah…" Estelle sighs blissfully. "Young love."

"Hey, don't jump the gun, Estelle." Yuri said to Estelle as he stood beside her.

Estelle giggled before turning to Yuri. "But every time I see these two together, they make me jealous. I on the other hand couldn't even think about settling down with anyone because of my job."

"Have you ever thought of settling down, Mr. Lowell?" Wendy asked Yuri.

"Never once in my life." Yuri shrugged.

"Ugh, no wonder why you're miserable all the time!" Estelle pouts at Yuri.

"Shut up!" Yuri yelled at her in annoyance.

"Hee hee hee, you two fight each other like an old married couple." Happy commented before turning to Erza. "And I bet seeing Darren and Alicia together also make you think of your relationship with Jellal, right Er-"

Suddenly, the exceed is cut off when Erza and Yuri both kick him directly under his chin and send him flying into the air.

"HAPPY!" Natsu cried in horror as Happy lets out a wail while plummeting through the air. Carla and Lucy shake their heads with their arms folded.

Meanwhile, Velvet, who is standing on the rooftop of a nearby building with her hands placed at the sides of her hip, stares at Team Natsu and the others from above in bewilderment.

"Does the number 1 guild in all of Fiore always act like this on a regular basis?" Velvet said to herself with an arched eyebrow.

* * *

Team Natsu and the others continue walking further into Zinnia until they arrived at the town square. They see several stalls set up along the boundaries of the area, selling all sorts of flowers, gardening tools and other equipment. In the middle of it all, there are a trio of musicians playing a sitar, flute and violin, and there are a few children and adults dancing to the music.

"Thank you very much, kind lady." An old man said to Erza as he takes her money as payment for the bread that she had bought from him.

"You're welcome." Erza replied to the merchant with a smile just as Darren, Alicia, Sheena and the other members of Team Natsu walk over to her. She turns around and asked them, "Have you found any stall that sells coal?"

"Unfortunately no. And it seems Noel and the others aren't able to find any as well." Gray reported to her.

"Coal, you say?" The merchant said to them. "Unfortunately, the grocery stores in our town are closed today on the eve of the holiday. But maybe you can ask the people in the church. They also use coal every day to light up their furnaces."

Erza and the others smile at each other before she bows her head to the merchant. "Thank you again, sir." She said.

"Don't mention it." The old man smiled at them.

* * *

Two priests slowly open the large pair of wooden doors, allowing Team Natsu and the others to step into the town's church. Their footsteps echoed throughout the interior of the church as they walk their way through the nave and towards the altar. They look around and see a few people sitting at the benches with their heads bowed, whispering their prayers as they clasp their hands together.

When they arrived at the front of the church, they are greeted by an old man, dressed in white robes and a mitre on his head, standing in front of the altar.

"Welcome to our glorious church. What is your purpose here?" The priest inquired the visitors.

"Well, we are-" Erza tried to speak, but the priest rudely interrupted and continued.

"Are you all here to make confessions?" The priest asked.

"Not really-" Erza tried to reply with a look of annoyance, but she finds herself interrupted by the old man again.

"Then come, sinner!" The priest proclaimed as he stares heavenward and raises his hands up in the air. "And repent your wicked deeds!"

"Do we really have time for this?" Yuri grumbled under his breath.

"You think we have committed things that are deemed wicked?" Natsu asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes." The priest boomed as he looks back at Natsu. "When I look at your vestment…such inappropriate clothes that expose your chest and torso…I can tell your sins are many and deep!"

"Even a priest would admire a man's chest and abs?" Sheena murmured as she turns her head away with her cheeks blushing crimson.

"Well, I admit that I have caused a lot of trouble for myself and my friends in the past." Natsu said as he scratches his head.

"Then you must acknowledge your misdeeds and confess them right in this very place." The priest said to him calmly. "By confronting your sinful urges, you will be empowered to resist them."

"So all I just need is to confess all the bad things I've done?" Natsu asked.

"Yes, confess your darkest sins, my child, assured that none is beyond the forgiveness of our creators." The priest said.

"Very well. One time at Hargeon, while stopping someone who is tarnishing my guild's name, I ended up destroying a huge portion of the city." Natsu admitted as he folds his arms.

"Huh?" The priest said incredulously with his eyes widened.

"Then I also once burst through the Magic Council's Branch in Fiore in an attempt to rescue Erza, which only ends up having me and her being locked up in jail." Natsu added, shrugging his shoulders.

"You damaged one of the Magic Council's properties?! That's awful!" The priest cried in horror.

"Then my friends and I once invaded Phantom Lord's headquarters as revenge for attacking three of our guildmates. Oh and I also damaged a cathedral during a fight with a fellow guildmate who was a real bastard back then, my friends and I once held a king hostage in another world, acted as a _'Great demon-lord'_ who took away everyone's magic over there, stole King Fiore's clothes and impersonated as him, melted the arena in Crocus and even set the King's palace on fire!" Natsu explained.

"I…I…" The priest struggled to speak, surprised to hear the multitude of crimes Natsu has committed throughout his lifetime.

"Oh and let's not forget all the times I have seen my fellow female guildmates naked in baths and placed ourselves in awkward positions!" Natsu grins as he places his fists at the sides of his hips. Lucy, Erza and Wendy shuddered at the thoughts.

"We need to get pass that." Lucy said uneasily.

"Lucky guy." Darren murmured before he turns his head to Alicia. He gasped in horror as he sees the dark glare on her face.

"So what do you think? Will the creators ever forgive me?" Natsu asked the priest.

"I, er, um…the only way you can be redeemed is if you turn yourself to the Magic Council and be locked up in jail for all of eternity!" The priest cried in terror, jabbing a shaking finger at Natsu.

"No way!" Natsu stomps his foot and furiously yelled back at him. "I defeated a dragon! So no way some boring old jail is going to contain me for the rest of my life!"

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" The priest screamed in sheer terror as he turns and runs away to the back of the church, fleeing away from the pink-haired demon with his precious life. "An exorcist! I need an exorcist to bring judgment down on this sinner!"

"Well, that went…just as I expected." Erza said with an arched eyebrow.

Natsu huffed as he folds his arms. "What's the deal with that old geezer?"

"Did I overhear him calling for an exorcist again?"

Team Natsu and the others turn their heads to the other side of the church to see a woman walking over to them. She appears to be a short woman with purple eyes, long blonde hair that is tied to a braid, with its end tied with a purple ribbon, and dressed in purple robes and black boots.

"Well, um," Lucy replied nervously. "One of the priests thinks Natsu is an extremely sinful person-"

The woman chortled as she stood before them. "Never mind him. Even our high priest is annoyed by his presence. Anyways, I've never seen you people around here before. Are you all travelers?"

"Yes. We are stopping by this place for a while before continuing our journey." Karol said.

"Then welcome to our glorious church of Zinnia. How may I help you?" The blonde-haired woman asked.

"We would like to buy coal for our ship. Does your church have any?" Noel asked.

"Indeed we do at the bottom of the church." The woman replied. "How much do you need?"

"Well, I'm not sure if you can handle this but…" Noel took a gulp before giving the woman the hard answer. "30,000 kilograms of charcoal?"

"You got it! I'll let our high priest know about this!" The woman replied cheerfully, much to the bewilderment of Noel, Team Natsu and the others. "At the meantime, make yourselves at home in this town. Or you can even stay here for the next few days and celebrate the Harvest Festival with us."

As the woman turns around and walks away to inform the high priest of the church, Erza and Karol turn to each other as the latter said to the red-haired woman, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay here for a while and watch the celebration."

"I agree. Even though we are still at war, it's nice for us to settle down and celebrate the holidays once in a while." Erza said.

"Then I'll inform Emmanuel and find a place for us to stay." Noel said. "Hopefully, this small town has an inn to provide hospitality for more than ten people. Pay the charcoal for me first and I promise to reimburse you."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Erza said to her. Noel nods her head to her before she turns and makes her way out of the church.

"Well, since we are staying here for a while, why don't we have a walk around the town?" Estelle suggested to Karol, Judith and Yuri.

"I agree!" Judith replied cheerfully.

"Sounds great!" Karol added with a grin.

"I'll pass." Yuri said dully as he turns his head away. Estelle pouts at him and grabs his arm. "What, hey!"

"Oh no! You need to stop being grumpy and embrace the tranquility of the outside world every once in a while! Now let's go!" Estelle chided as she escorts Yuri out of the church.

"Why are you so persistent?!" Yuri yelled in annoyance as he is helplessly dragged away by Estelle.

"And why are you so stuck-up?!" Estelle snapped back, clinging tightly onto his arm. Karol and Judith chuckled as they follow them from behind.

"What about you guys?" Darren asked the members of Team Natsu. "What are you all planning to do?"

"We'll wait for the priests to collect the right amount of charcoal for us. After that, we'll carry them all the way back to ship before regrouping with the rest of you." Erza replied to him just as the woman returned back to them. This time, she is accompanied by a shorter girl who is dressed in black cloak and a hood over her head which conceals her hair and eyes, but everyone could see she has scars across her right cheek and underneath her left eye.

"Good news." The blonde-haired woman said to them. "The high priest said we have the required amount of the charcoal you all wanted. So please wait patiently while we gather them for you."

"That's great. How much will it be?" Erza inquired.

"About 15 million jewels." The woman said. Erza holds up her finger and swings it down vertically through the air, bringing up a menu between her and the woman. The woman watched in awe as Erza taps a few buttons before bringing up the total amount of jewels she has in her possession. Darren widens his eyes and drops his jaw upon seeing the amount of money. Although the currency would be rendered useless back in his world, Darren couldn't stop gushing over his thoughts on how many video games and anime figures he could buy with that amount of money. After typing the exact amount of money, Erza presses the 'withdraw' icon and a large bag of jewels magically appeared in her other hand. She swings her finger up, putting away the menu, and hands the bag of jewels to the woman.

"Thank you very much." The woman bows her head to Erza before turning to the shorter girl. "Hand this bag of money to the high priest for me, will you?"

"Yes Jeanne." The girl replied softly as she takes the bag of jewels from her. As the girl walks away with the money, Jeanne turns back to Darren, Alicia, Sheena and the members of Team Natsu.

"So your name is Jeanne." Lucy said to the blonde-haired woman.

"Yes, that is correct." Jeanne nods her head. "Now that you have made your payment and currently waiting for your goods, what else would you like to do here in this church? Make a confession? Trying to find inner peace, perhaps?"

"Well, I don't really have anything to confess. I've made peace with my father a long time ago." Lucy said as she rubs the back of her neck.

"I've also make up with my friends who were slaves like me back in the Tower of Heaven." Erza said.

"I've made peace with my father, guardian and Lyon years ago too." Gray admitted, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"I…don't really have anything that I've problems with." Wendy said, smiling sheepishly with her hands placed behind her back.

"Me too." Happy added.

"Well, your name isn't Happy for nothing." Carla deadpanned.

"After what happened earlier, I ain't doing it again." Natsu grumbled with his arms folded.

"Actually, I do have something to confess." Darren said grimly to Jeanne with his hand raised. "And I wish to talk it out."

"So do I." Alicia said with her eyes softened.

Sheena nods her head before stepping forward. "Me too."

Jeanne places her hands behind her back and bows her head to them before gesturing them to sit down on the nearest bench. "Take a seat."

Darren, Alicia and Sheena obliged as they walk over to the bench and sit down. Unaware to everyone, Velvet is standing behind the doorway at the side of the church, covertly watching them.

"Who are you?"

Velvet gasped and whirls about, seeing that the voice belonged to a small boy with chin length dark blonde hair, light green eyes and dressed in white robes.

"Would you like to have a prayer like these people over there?" The boy asked curiously.

"I, er, um…" Velvet panicked, struggling to answer the boy's question. Without second thoughts, Velvet kneels down to his level and places her hand in front of his mouth, much to the boy's surprise. "Listen to me, stay silent and don't ever utter a word about me. Please?"

Seeing the woman's pleading eyes, the boy wordlessly nods his head in response. Velvet lets out a heavy sigh before removing her hand from the boy's mouth, stood up and looked back at Darren, Jeanne and the others.

"Speak now before the creators. What would you like to confess?" Jeanne said calmly as she stood in front of the three. Darren, Alicia and Sheena quietly glance at the large stained glass windows at the front of the church before they lower their heads and stare down at the wooden floor.

"I failed to be both a good friend and son. I chose not to help a friend when he was in a dire situation, and I also blamed myself for not cherishing my time with my father before he inevitably passed away. I never had a chance to make amends for what I've done to them and I lived my life in guilt and sorrow ever since." Darren admitted to Jeanne with downcast eyes.

"For me, I failed to keep my promise to my brother." Alicia said grimly. "Before he died, he encouraged me to follow my dreams and what I desire to do for my future. But after he passed, being the weak girl that I still am, I was completely helpless without his presence. I failed to stand up against my parents who were controlling my life, wanting me to take over their business after their eldest child had died. But I was scared. I didn't have the courage to fight back, to tell them not to control me like a puppet even though they are my parents. Tell them that if my brother was still alive, is this really what he wanted them to do to their youngest child?"

"As for me…" Sheena remained silent for a moment as her hands on her thighs curl up into fists. Eventually, she closes her eyelids and spoke dishearteningly, "I failed to uphold my responsibilities to my people…and as a result, I've caused so much pain and sorrow to everyone. And instead of apologizing, and making up for what I've done, I ended up being a coward, fleeing from home and the people who depended on me. And now, here I am, travelling around the world with my new friends to get away from my problems, while everyone back at home are still suffering. I truly am a selfish person."

"Sheena…" Lucy murmured as she and the other members of Team Natsu stare grimly at Sheena, Darren and Alicia.

As she continued hiding behind the doorway, Velvet clenched her jaw shut and places a quivering hand on her chest upon hearing Sheena's confession. Despite being her enemy, Velvet couldn't help but empathize with Sheena, for she too had committed a similar mistake in the past. An irredeemable mistake that Velvet will never find a way to make up for what she had done, and that sadly, her only solution is to run away and condemn herself for the rest of her life, which was why she joined the Abbey in the first place as a pathetic attempt to alleviate her guilt over her past sins. Velvet closes her eyes, feeling sick and ashamed of herself just thinking about it.

"Are you alright?" The boy asked Velvet in concern. Without looking back at him, Velvet shakes her head in response. The boy proceeds and wraps his arms around her torso, much to her surprise.

Meanwhile, Jeanne lowers her head, closes her eyelids, clasps her hands together and places them in front of her chest. There was a minute of painful silence between her, Darren, Alicia and Sheena before she opens her eyes and lifts her head back up.

"Hear the good news, troubled souls." Jeanne said to the three as she lowers her arms. "The creators have offered you all their blessings, support and mercy. Let us wish that with this newfound sense of hope that they have bestowed upon you, all of you will find the ray of light that expels and shines through the darkness within your hearts, and open a brand new chapter in your lives. Rise, Darren Leong, Alicia Ribery, and Sheena Fujibayashi."

Darren, Alicia and Sheena stood up from the bench and open their eyes to see Jeanne smiling tenderly at them. The three didn't realize that they are crying until they felt their tears rolling down their cheeks. They wipe away their tears before turning their heads to see the members of Team Natsu walking over to them. Lucy, Natsu, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Happy and Carla smile at the three before they proceed to pull Darren, Alicia and Sheena into a warm embrace.

"You're lucky to have such caring friends. Cherish them as much as you can." Jeanne said to the three. Darren, Alicia and Sheena close their eyes again as they find themselves hugging Team Nastu back.

Meanwhile, the boy said soothingly to Velvet as he rests his head on her back, "Don't be sad, troubled soul. You may think that the world is cold and dark right now, but always remember that when there is darkness, there is always light. And believe that somewhere down the road, you will find love and hope once again."

Velvet wordlessly looks back at the boy for a moment before tears began forming in her eyes. She grits her teeth and collapses onto the ground as she begins to weep. The boy kept his warm embrace around her as he kneels down on the floor, comforting her as he felt Velvet's trembling body.

After backing away from their friends, Darren, Alicia and Sheena turn to each other and laugh cheerfully. They and Team Natsu look back at Jeanne and bow their heads to her.

"Thank you very much, Jeanne." Darren said to Jeanne gratefully.

"You're welcome, Darren Leong." Jeanne smiled back at him as she tilts her head to the side.

"What is your full name by the way?" Alicia asked Jeanne.

"I am Jeanne d'Arc." Jeanne introduced herself as she places her hand on her chest. "It is truly a pleasure to meet all of you."

Darren and Alicia stares back at her dumbfounded for a moment before they burst out into laughter.

"What is it?" Jeanne asked them in confusion.

"Sorry." Alicia said apologetically after she and Darren managed to bring their laughter to a halt. "It's just that…you actually bear the same name as a certain historical figure back in our world."

"Although the difference between you two is that the one in our world also goes by the name 'Joan of Arc'." Darren explained.

Jeanne lets out a soft gasp. "Joan of Arc…" Darren and Alicia gape their mouths open as they and the others see her clutching the side of her head with a hand. "I haven't heard that name in ages…ever since I was burnt on the stake by-"

"The English and the Burgundians?!" Darren and Alicia cried incredulously.

Jeanne lifts her head up and looks back at Darren and Alicia in surprise. "How did you know?"

Darren and Alicia gasped and widen their eyes. "I don't believe it." Alicia said in astonishment before planting her hands in front of her mouth.

"She is real…" Darren uttered.

"Who?" Natsu asked him and Alicia with an arched eyebrow.

"Guys!" Darren cried to Sheena and Team Natsu as he and Alicia turn around. They point their fingers at Jeanne as he said, "Do you know who she is?!"

"She's Joan of Arc! The Maid of Orleans and the heroine of all of France!" Alicia exclaimed.

There was an awkward moment of silence within the church before Lucy asked in confusion, "Who?"

Darren and Alicia stood up straight and cough before giving Sheena and Team Natsu their very own history lesson.

"Jeanne d'Arc, also known as Joan of Arc by the English, is considered the heroine of France for her role during the Lancastrian Phase of the Hundred Years' War." Alicia explained.

"The Hundred Years' War begun as an inheritance dispute over the French throne, and the English took advantage of this by invading France and nearly achieving their goal of a dual monarchy between both countries under English control." Darren added.

"And to make things worse, a French political party known as the Burgundian Faction, which supports the English, fought alongside them in their conquest to conquer all of France. The French people and the Armagnac Faction, a political party that opposed the English, would have forever lost their country if it wasn't for the birth of Jeanne d'Arc, a.k.a. Joan of Arc." Alicia said, placing her hands behind her back.

"Jeanne was born as a peasant girl living with her parents in the French countryside." Darren explained as he holds up a finger. "But when she reached the age of 13, she claimed that three heavenly figures known as Saint Michael, Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret, appeared before her and tell her to drive the English out of France, and she claim their meeting brought tears of joy to her eyes."

"She later asked a French commander, Robert de Baudricourt, to escort her to the French Royal Court in Chinon where she can meet King Charles VII of France." Alicia said. "And during her travels, she journeyed through Burgundian territory while disguising herself as a male soldier."

"She cross-dressed?" Erza asked Alicia.

"We'll get back to that later." Alicia replied.

"Although many of his advisors find it hard to believe that a poor peasant girl, claiming to have been visited by messengers of God, would be the one who will lead France to victory in the Hundred Years' War, King Charles appointed Joan to lead the French Army in Orleans when he grew pleased and confident with her after having a private conference with her." Darren continued explaining.

"Although she was wounded in battle, the Siege of Orleans ended with a decisive French victory, and this marked the rise of Joan of Arc as the heroine of France. Under her command, the French Army and the Armagnac went on to win several more battles against the English and the Burgundians including Jargeau, Meung-sur-Loire, and Beaugency. But unfortunately, she failed to liberate Paris from the English, although she did go on to win one more battle for France which is the Siege of Compiegne." Alicia added.

"Unfortunately, she was ambushed and captured by the Burgundians during the Siege and was imprisoned by the enemy." Darren said.

"She stood in a politically motivated trial by the English and Burgundians, even making use of the moment she disguised herself as a male soldier, to tell their supporters that she isn't a child of God but rather a witch and a heretic. And eventually in 1431, after an unfair trial conducted by her enemies, Joan was executed by being burnt on a stake." Alicia finished with a solemn frown.

"But fortunately, her death was not in vain. Although the war went on for another 22 years, the French continued winning many battles without Joan's command, and the English eventually lost all of their territory in France and their alliance with the Burgundians. A retrial for Joan of Arc later took place by the Pope of the Papal States. She was pardoned and canonized as a Saint by the Catholic League." Darren said.

"And that is the life and legacy of the heroine of France, the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc, also known as Jeanne d'Arc." Alicia finished their explanation. As they do, she and Darren smile at Sheena and Team Natsu as they gesture to Jeanne by extending their arms to her.

Afterwards, there is another moment of awkward silence as Sheena and Team Natsu stare back at Darren and Alicia in bewilderment, and even more confused than before. Darren and Alicia groan as they lower their arms and heads. They look back at their friends and said to them, "Basically, she's a peasant girl who is sent by messengers of God to save an entire country, but died a tragic death."

"Oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh." Team Natsu and Sheena replied with their eyes wide, finally understanding what Darren and Alicia had been telling them.

"I get it now." Gray added.

Jeanne giggled and said with her hands behind her back, "Yes, that is me."

Darren and Alicia turn back to the blonde-haired woman. The latter grins at Jeanne as she clasps her hands together, trying to contain the overwhelming sense of joy and excitement inside her right now.

"I can't believe I'm actually standing in front of the real Joan of Arc right now! I've always been fascinated by your biography. You truly are an inspiration to all women everywhere!" Alicia squealed ecstatically.

"Ahahaha, thanks." Jeanne replied, smiling sheepishly at Alicia as she strokes her hair.

"I thought you were dead, Jeanne." Darren said with his eyes wide in amazement. "Unless, after you got burnt to death, you reappeared here on Earth Land?"

"Well…" Jeanne rubs the back of her neck as she struggled to answer. "I'm not really sure about that. But if my memory serves me right, I first appeared in this strange world probably about nine years ago. A small, beautiful angel with long blonde hair, whose wings are at her ears for some reason, stood right in front of me." Lucy, Natsu, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Happy and Carla gasped upon hearing the description of this so-called angel. Jeanne turns her head to the stained glass windows as she continues to reminisce her past. "The only words she ever said to me were 'Oops, sorry. I accidentally revived you while keeping the island behind me safe with my powers.' And before I knew it, she magically sent me here to Zinnia, which is the nearest town from our location." She laughed as she shrugs her shoulders.

"Was the island behind the girl trapped inside a huge circular barrier?" Wendy inquired.

"Oh." Jeanne said as she looked back at Team Natsu. "Yes it is."

Team Natsu gasped again before yelling out in shock and astonishment, "MAVIS?!"

* * *

Meanwhile, several miles southwest from the town of Zinnia, a hundred praetors, armed with swords and spears, are lined up in a few horizontal rows as they face the small town from the crest of a hill that has a clear view of the area. Behind them are four battle vehicles which their design is a mixture of a bulldozer and a tank without a barrel. Each vehicle has four wheels and a large and wide metal blade installed at the front of it. They are made of metal plating and each of them is operated by a praetor sitting inside the top section of the vehicle that has a rectangular shaped window at the front for them to see through.

Two particular praetors stepped forth at the head of the small army. One of them is a squad leader while the other is a man with red swept back hair, a long red moustache connected to his side burns and dressed in a grey praetor uniform with a white cape draped over his shoulders.

"Second Lieutenant Calares, it seems the town has no sort of guard unit protecting them whatsoever." The squad leader reported to the red-haired man as they look down at the small town in the distance.

"Very good." Calares said coldly with his left hand clinging onto his sheath at the left side of his hip. "We shall invade the town at night."

"Why not now, sir?" The squad leader inquired. "Zinnia has possibly the largest coal mines in the southern parts of Fiore. The earlier we demolish this town to the ground, the sooner those mines are ours."

"Need I remind you that tomorrow will be the Harvest Festival? It's a time of the year when all the people of Fiore settle down peacefully and come together to celebrate the festivities. But if we destroy the town at the night, the villagers will either be killed or driven out of their homes unexpectedly while they are preparing themselves for the holiday. And the very next morning, the destruction of their town on what was supposed to be a festive occasion will bring considerable propaganda triumph to the Abbey, thus making our victory much more satisfying." Calares explained with a malicious smirk.

"I…understand, sir." The squad leader said nervously as even he couldn't comprehend how diabolical Calares' plan of invasion truly is.

"Ready our men at 8 o'clock, sergeant." Calares ordered. "Tonight, Zinnia will be eradicated."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Ushindeshi and Aquabluey for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks!**

Chapter Revised on 1st April 2020


	21. The Maid of Zinnia, Part 2

_**The Maid of Zinnia, Part 2**_

"Unfortunately, that brief encounter I had with Mavis before I was transported to this town is all I ever know about her. Sorry I couldn't help much in finding your friend. I'm sure she must have been very important to all of you." Jeanne said apologetically as she sat on a wooden bench with Darren, Alicia and Sheena, bowing her head to Team Natsu who stood in front of her.

"It's alright, Jeanne." Erza said with a warm smile. "At least it was interesting to know that our guild's founder would summon someone from Darren and Alicia's world while she was protecting us inside the Fairy Sphere during those 7 years."

"Perhaps our worlds truly are connected to each other." Lucy said, smiling at Darren and Alicia, who both nod their heads back to her.

"It's nice to know that Edolas isn't the only world above us." Wendy said as she, Happy and Carla look skyward.

"I wonder what other worlds exist out there." Happy uttered.

"And I don't know if my brain can handle any more of these theories about other worlds and such." Sheena groans as she rubs her temples.

"Don't overthink too much." Alicia replied to Sheena with a chuckle. "Though it's true that the universe is bigger than you think."

"And it only makes you realize how much you want to see while you're still alive." Darren said.

After Sheena responded to Darren with a nod, Erza suddenly felt the lacrima inside her pocket ringing. She gets it out and answers it.

"Hello?" Erza said to the lacrima.

"Erza? It's me, Noel!" The voice at the other side of the line said in terror.

"Noel? What's wrong?" Natsu inquired.

"Meet me at the farmhouses at the outskirts of town! I discovered something terrible! The Abbey is here!" Noel cried. Everyone gasped in response as Noel hangs up her lacrima.

"The Abbey? What are they doing here?!" Lucy said incredulously.

"I don't know." Erza said as she puts away her lacrima. "But their presence obviously means trouble. Happy and Carla will take me and Natsu over to Noel's location right now. The rest of you will inform Yuri and Brave Vesperia about this right away."

"Understood!" Wendy said as she, Gray and Lucy solemnly nod their heads to her.

"Let's go!" Erza ordered Natsu. As Natsu nods his head, Happy and Carla wrap their tails around him and Erza. As Jeanne watches in concern, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Darren, Alicia and Sheena rush their way over to the entrance of the church. As the six push open the doors, Happy and Carla flew out of the church and into the air while carrying Natsu and Erza with them.

The exceeds carry Natsu and Erza several feet into the sky where they can see an aerial view of the entire town. Natsu immediately spots the farmhouses at the outskirts of Zinnia and points his finger at them.

"Over there, Happy!" Natsu yelled.

"Aye!" Happy replied as he and Carla fly over to the farmhouses with Natsu and Erza.

* * *

On the rooftop of the furthest farmhouse from town, Noel kneels down as she keeps a close watch on the army of praetors camping at the crest of a hill in the distance. Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blew past Noel from behind and she quickly grabs hold of her beret. She turns around to see Natsu and Erza landing behind her as Happy and Carla place them down.

"Erza, Natsu." Noel said to them in relief.

"Where are they, Noel?" Erza asked as she and Natsu walk over to her.

As Happy and Carla land their feet on the rooftop, Noel points her finger at the exact hill where the army of praetors is stationed. She magically summons a pair of binoculars and hands it to Erza. As Erza grabs the binoculars from her and place them in front of her eyes, she gets a closer look at the campsite which the praetors have set up. While most of them are patrolling the area, conversing with each other or polishing their weapons, Erza's vision soon lands on four vehicles which they have parked at the right end of their campsite. She also spotted Calares, dressed differently from the regular praetors, instructing the drivers as they stood in front of the vehicles.

"How do you know that there are praetors planning to invade Zinnia, Noel?" Natsu asked Noel.

"Well, I know it sounds crazy but…a voice contacted me inside my head while I was about to book an inn that I've found." Noel replied.

"A voice?" Natsu asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes." Noel nods her head. "The voice sounded like a small girl."

"Did she tell you her name?" Natsu asked, widening his eyes.

"I did try to ask her, but she replied to me saying that we will save that for another time." Noel explained. "Instead, she warns me about the impending danger from the Abbey and instructs me to go to the outskirts of town to see for myself. Of course, everyone at the inn was looking at me strangely as I spoke to the voice. I did as she told me and I rush my way to the farmhouses, climb myself up here and sure enough, I discovered our enemies in the distance with my binoculars."

"Seriously Noel, you are full of surprises." Carla said as she places her paws at the sides of her hip.

"First Fairy Sphere, now this." Happy added.

"What's going on with me?" Noel murmured to herself as she places her hand on her forehead.

"They have vehicles." Erza reported as she lowers her binoculars.

"Tanks?" Natsu asked Erza.

"Not this time. They're bulldozers." Erza said, turning to Noel and Natsu.

"They are going to demolish this entire town into a flat piece of land!" Happy cried as he, Carla, Natsu and Noel widen their eyes in horror.

"And they are planning to do so before the Harvest Festival as well!" Carla added.

"Damn!" Natsu yelled furiously as he slams his fist onto the roof tiles. "How much more diabolical can these guys get?!"

"We need to regroup with the others right away." Erza said to everyone. "We must stop the Abbey from going anywhere near this town."

Happy and Carla immediately fly above Natsu and Erza and wrap their tails around their bodies again. As the exceeds lift Natsu and Erza up, Noel cried to them, "What about me?"

"Well, stand still." Erza advised her with a smirk.

"Okay." Noel replied worriedly as Carla flies Erza over to her from behind. "What are you ACK-"

As Erza rudely interrupts Noel by wrapping her arms around her body from behind, Carla begins pulling them up as Erza said to Rune Knight, "You better hold on."

"Oh my!" Noel cried as she clings onto Erza's arms and swings her legs frantically through the air as she felt being lifted up. "What did I get myself INTTTOOOOOOOOOO?!"

As Carla and Happy suddenly fly themselves back to the church in incredible speed, Noel's frantic screams echoed throughout the town.

* * *

When Natsu, Erza, Noel and the exceeds arrive back at the church, they see that Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Darren, Alicia and Sheena had already found Yuri and Brave Vesperia and they all gathered outside the church. After the exceeds place Natsu, Erza and Noel down in front of them, the three explain to them what they have discovered and what the Abbey is planning. Everyone stared at them petrified.

"What? That's terrible!" Lucy cried in terror.

"There are probably about a hundred of them. We need to stop them and their bulldozers from going near this town." Noel said to them.

"This town doesn't seem to have any sort of defense. So I guess we only got ourselves to fight against the Abbey." Karol said as he rubs his chin.

"What are you talking about?" Alicia said, getting Brave Vesperia's attention. "They do have one."

* * *

"What? There are enemies who are planning to invade this town on the eve of an important holiday?" Jeanne replied in surprise and horror after Alicia and her friends explain to her about the impending invasion inside the church.

"Yes. If we don't stop them, this town will become nothing but a piece of flat land, and these people will have nothing to celebrate tomorrow." Alicia said.

"We can't afford to let this town become another Azadistan." Darren added.

"If you truly are a great warrior as Darren and Alicia had told us, then we would like you to fight alongside us, Jeanne D' Arc." Erza said, extending her hand out to her. Jeanne stares at Erza's hand for a moment and Darren, Alicia and the others watch in anticipation, awaiting her to accept the proposal.

"What do you say, heroine of France?" Natsu grins as he winks an eye at her. "Are you willing to lend a hand to Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia?"

However, much to the shock of everyone in front of her, Jeanne quietly turns around and walks over to the altar.

"Ooookay. Maybe not." Natsu said dumbfounded as his arms hang limply at his sides.

"Jeanne?" Alicia said questioningly as Erza lowers her hand.

"I…I can't." Jeanne replied sadly as she clings onto her right upper arm.

Alicia walks over to her side and asked, "Why? I thought you are the heroine of France! The woman who bravely fought against the English invaders and brought hope to a kingdom that was on the brink of defeat!"

"Yes." Jeanne nods her head. "I did fight bravely for France. But even though you told me that my people won the war, I honestly died as a failure."

"What are you talking about?" Alicia responded incredulously.

"It is true that my trial conducted by the English and their French loyalists was unfair. But they still succeeded in driving me into a state of despair. During my final days of my life, I willingly signed a contract of adjuration that all of my visions from God were nothing but delusions. And while I was in prison, awaiting my execution, I felt a huge sense of guilt and remorse in doing so. I felt like I have abandoned God, recanting my beliefs as a selfish and pathetic attempt to save my own life. And my decline in my mental health is enough justification for the English to proceed with my execution. And I stood there, being burnt to death, dying as a sad woman who lost her sanity." Jeanne explained dishearteningly with eyes of despondency.

Alicia stared wordlessly at Jeanne for a moment before she spoke again, "But Jeanne, your actions as a military leader is what helped France win the Hundred Years' War against England in the long run. If you hadn't dedicate your life to fight for God and France, put on your armor, raise arms and fought against the English and Burgundians, your country would have been lost forever. It's why people still hold admiration for you to this day!"

"And yet, why do I still feel sad?" Jeanne said, turning to Alicia with a solemn frown. "Why would the people of France still admire me? Someone who has betrayed God and lost her will to live? Abandoned by the people whom I've fought alongside with so that I'm left alone to be executed by my captors? This is why I become a member of this church, begging God for forgiveness for what I've done during the final days of my life, as well as questioning him why of all the people in the world who deserve a second chance in life, fate chose me instead? Could it be because being burnt to death was too merciful, and God decided to give me a harder punishment by making me live the rest of my life in guilt and remorse? That is a question that I still seek the answer from him to this day. And until then, I don't see myself worthy to be a hero again."

"Jeanne…" Alicia uttered. "Maybe you'll probably never find the answer you're looking for. But you have to put your feelings aside right now. This town is currently in danger of being destroyed. Are you really just going to stay here and drown in sorrow while innocent people are at risk of getting killed and losing their homes?"

Jeanne lowers her head and remains silent. Knowing that she is never going to get an answer from her, Alicia lets out a heavy sigh and turns back to her friends.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I don't think she will be joining us." Alicia said regrettably.

"Very well." Erza nods her head before turning to the others. "We have to warn the townspeople and evacuate them to safety. Afterwards, we'll quickly head over to the farmhouses and prepare to defend this town."

"Understood." Karol said as he, Judith and Estelle nod their heads.

"Since I'm a member of the Rune Knights, I'll be the one to inform the mayor of this town about the impending invasion." Noel said to Erza.

"Thank you." Erza replied. "Everyone, let's go!"

"Aye!" Everybody else except Jeanne responded. As everyone make their way out of the church, Alicia stayed behind and glances at Jeanne for a few seconds before she turns her head away in disappointment. She looks back at her friends and followed them from behind. After stepping out of the church, the large doors close behind them and Jeanne is left behind, standing at the altar.

Shortly after their departure, the hooded girl walks back into the interior of the church and goes over to Jeanne's side.

"Jeanne?" The girl asked in concern. Jeanne stayed silent as she turns her head to her. "Why didn't you go and help them? I thought you are a strong person who cares for others."

"Because I already had my chance to be a hero. And I don't deserve to be one again." Jeanne said.

"That's not true. You are a hero to me." The girl said.

"No, I'm not. I'm just a peasant girl who served as a nun in this church in my second life, and nothing more." Jeanne replied.

"No! You're wrong!" The girl cried, raising her voice as she grew more frustrated. She proceeds to remove her hood, revealing she has white short tousled hair. "When I was brought over to this world just like you, you took good care of me. Comforted me when I was grieving over the loss of my mother, and raised me as if I'm your child! You also helped other people in this town when they needed money, food and assistance. All those things you did to help me and everyone here is what makes me admire you so much! So how can you say that you are no longer worthy to be a hero again?"

Fresh tears began forming in Jeanne's eyes as she stares back at the girl and uttered, "Jack…"

"I'm sorry, dear. But she's right. She doesn't deserve to be one anymore."

Jeanne and Jack gasp as they turn their heads to the one of the wooden benches. To their surprise and horror, there is a woman sitting on the bench and Jeanne trembled as she took a hard look at her. The woman has shoulder length dark tan hair and gold eyes, dressed in a long-sleeved dark blue jacket with black fur around its collar, a black zipper dress underneath it that goes down to her thighs, and black high heel boots. But despite having different clothes and hairstyles, her eyes and facial structure still looks identical to…

"Y-y-you're…" Jeanne struggled to speak as she gazes at the woman before her.

"Yes." The woman responded with a smirk. "I am you. Your shadow to be precise."

"M-M-My s-s-shadow?" Jeanne stuttered.

"I've followed you everywhere ever since you were born. And I have witnessed everything you have done during your first life. Your meeting with the angels? Your fights against the English and Burgundians? Your execution on the stake? I've been through everything you have experienced." Jeanne's doppelganger said.

"What do you want from her?!" Jack shouted at the doppelganger.

"What do I want?" The doppelganger replied to Jack before chuckling. She turns to Jeanne and answered, "I want her to embrace me, the darkness within her heart."

"What?" Jeanne asked in shock.

"Tell me, Jeanne." The doppelganger said as she gets her back off from the bench and leans forward. "Don't you feel upset that despite your claims of God coming for you, he ultimately forsakes you during the final days of your life before the execution? Do you feel distress that the people who fought alongside you never came to rescue you? Don't you feel completely betrayed that the very people who served you, whom you trust, and who demanded you to participate in the war in the first place, let you rot in prison where you slowly become an insane and delusional husk before being burnt into ashes?"

"I…I…" As more tears flooded in her eyes, Jeanne collapsed onto her knees and began weeping in sorrow as she plants her hands over her face.

"Jeanne!" Jack cried as she kneels down to her level and wraps her arms around her. "Please! Get a hold of yourself!"

The doppelganger laughed diabolically as she watched the pathetic display before her in amusement. She stood up from the bench and strokes her hair before casually walking over to her counterpart.

"Oh, you poor little soul." The doppelganger sneered at Jeanne. Jack snarled back at her as she approaches them. "Face it, you were just a tool. A tool sent by God to motivate the French people, who would then go on to win the war without you. But I can help you. I can give you power."

As Jeanne removes her hands and lifts her head back up, she watches her doppelganger spreading her arms out to her with tearstained eyes.

"Embrace the anger and hatred inside you. Show them how powerful you truly are, and why they should have never look down upon you with contempt." The doppelganger said.

"You stay away from her!" Jack shouted at the doppelganger as she gets up and places herself in front of Jeanne. The doppelganger glares at Jack as she magically summons her black sword and points it at the girl.

"Jack!" Jeanne cried in terror.

"Get out of the way or I'll kill you." The doppelganger said icily to Jack.

Jack gulped before replying to her, "Make me."

"Jack, that's enough." Jeanne said firmly to Jack as she stood up.

"What? Jeanne!" Jack cried at her. But Jeanne ignored her as she places her hand on her shoulder and gently pushes the girl to the side. The doppelganger grins as she makes her sword disappear. After placing herself in front of her doppelganger, Jeanne quietly extends her hand out to her. Jack widens her eyes as she watched in horror.

"Jeanne! Don't!" Jack cried again as she grabs onto Jeanne's extended arm. But no matter how hard she tried to bring it down, Jeanne firmly kept her arm up. The doppelganger's grin widened as she begins to reach out to her counterpart's hand, ready to grab it and transfer her power to her.

"NO!"

Suddenly, Velvet's voice boomed through the interior of the church, snapping Jeanne out of her thoughts. Velvet rushes over to Jeanne's doppelganger and swings her demonic hand vertically down at her. The doppelganger quickly jumps back to dodge her arm.

As the doppelganger snarls at her, Velvet stood defensively in front of Jeanne and Jack as she gets into her battle stance. The tan-haired boy runs over to his fellow priests and placed himself beside Jeanne.

"Phi!" Jack said to the boy in relief.

"Jeanne, Jack! Stay back!" Phi said as he grabs hold of Jeanne's left arm. Jack obliged as she grabs Jeanne's other arm and the three back away from Velvet and the doppelganger.

"W-what's going on?" Jeanne murmured in bewilderment as she watched Velvet and the doppelganger facing each other.

"I know who you are." Velvet said icily to the doppelganger. "You're the entity of the dark side of that woman, aren't you?"

The doppelganger stares at Velvet in annoyance as she tilts her head to the side. "How do you know?"

"I have embraced my dark side before." Velvet responded as she stares at her demonic arm with a pained frown. "And sadly, this is what I've become."

Jeanne momentarily widens her eyes before turning her head away in shame. "So even I, a servant of God, do not have a pure heart." She said in sad realization.

"Because I was in complete denial of my responsibility for the death of my beloved brother, I ended up succumbing to the darkness within me, and I mindlessly let myself be controlled by others." Velvet said, glaring at Jeanne's doppelganger. "And during my time as a member of the Abbey, I have fought, enslaved and killed innocent people, thus completely destroying whatever trace of humanity I have left inside me in the process. Even though I was brainwashed, I can never excused myself for the atrocities I've done. And that is why now that I'm freed of my shackles, as long as I'm alive and given this chance to start anew, I will do whatever I can to redeem myself for what I've done."

"Velvet." Phi uttered as he, Jack and Jeanne gazed at Velvet.

"Hmph." Jeanne's doppelganger snorted. "Don't make me laugh. You think kindness and redemption will solve anything? Do you believe that going down the righteous path that God's believers desire to follow is going to make our lives better after everything that happened in the past?! You were right to deny your responsibility over the death of your relative, and look what have you become!" She jabs her finger at Velvet's demonic arm. "Thanks to the darkness inside you, you have become more powerful than you were before! Don't let God or society decide your fate. Show them your anger and frustration, and both God and the people will know what you are truly capable of!"

"Tch, aren't you a load of fun to hang out with at parties." Velvet replied sarcastically.

"What's so great about God?! He's just an arrogant being who has the power to create life. And after doing so, he will just leave his creations to their tragic fates, which is exactly what happened to my counterpart!" Jeanne's doppelganger roared with her eyes wide. "He sent her on a mission to save her country, and look what she got in return! Love, faith, peace and hope…these are nothing but foolish ideas from his believers! What we are truly born to do is to protect our pride, give into temptation and desire vengeance upon others! Hatred and darkness are the true source of humanity's power! That is the only true way of the human life!"

"I see. I understand now." Jeanne responded to her doppelganger.

"Jeanne?" Jack said as she and Phi stare at her incredulously.

"What?" Velvet whirled about and stares at Jeanne with her eyes wide.

"Heh. I'm glad I managed to talk some sense into you." Jeanne's doppelganger said to her with a smirk.

"Hatred, vengeance, darkness, pride…" Jeanne said as she stares boldly at her doppelganger. "If you think that is what all people desire, then clearly...I shouldn't be the one who seeks pity. You do."

Appalled by her words, Jeanne's doppelganger yelled in rage, "What?!"

Jeanne smiled at Jack and Phi and said to them reassuringly, "Let me go. Everything will be fine."

Jack and Phi were hesitant for a moment, but they eventually obey her and release her arms. As Jeanne looks back at her doppelganger, she begins walking over to her. But as she walks past Velvet, the former praetor questioned her, "Are you sure?"

Jeanne stops for a moment and turns to Velvet with a confident smile. She silently nods her head in response before placing her hand on Velvet's shoulder.

"Thank you for helping me realized why I follow God in the first place." Jeanne said to Velvet. Velvet remains silent as she wordlessly watches Jeanne removes her hand from her shoulder and walks over to her doppelganger.

"You are right about one thing, my shadow." Jeanne said calmly to her doppelganger. "There will always be humans out there who give into darkness, which is why it is my sworn duty given to me by God to show them the righteous path."

"Have you been ignoring what I said?!" Jeanne's doppelganger shouted at her in fury.

Jeanne shakes her head. "You are right. I died alone and abandoned at the stake that day, executed by the very people who see me as their enemy. But when I was brought back to life by the one known as Mavis, and transported me to this peaceful town, I did begin questioning myself, why am I alive again? I thought my story has come to an end after I was burnt at the stake. So why has fate given me this second life? Was death not the rightful punishment for me? And as I wander through the town, alone and abandoned like I was that day, to my surprise, everyone treated me with kindness and hospitality. They were the exact opposite of the people whom I fought with. I was confused by all of this at first, and that is why I became a member of this church to search for my answer. But now…looking back…" She paused as she began weeping and sobbing.

"What?" Jeanne's doppelganger asked in bewilderment. But as Jeanne kept crying, she grew impatient and bellowed at her, "WELL?! WHAT?!"

After she finally managed to bring her sobs to a halt, Jeanne wipes away her tears and looks back up at her doppelganger. "Looking back, I finally realize…God is showing me that after experiencing pain and sorrow, I will regain my hope and happiness."

Jeanne's doppelganger gasped in shock. "W-w-what?" She stammered.

"Humans will always fight against each other, but that doesn't mean all love and hope in the world is lost in the process. Even though I never lived to see my country win the war, I've fulfilled my duty given by God to lead France to a brighter future after experiencing years of hopelessness and despair from her enemies. I finally realized it now. God did not forsake me, he never did. He was giving me a hard lesson. It felt awful, but I've gained wisdom from it. And I thank him."

"So does this mean you don't need me anymore?" Jeanne's doppelganger asked with a grimace. "I'm your shadow! I'm a part of you! No matter where you go, I'm destined to follow you everywhere! So how can you possibly live the rest of your life without me?!"

Jeanne smiled at her doppelganger as she places her hand firmly on her shoulder. "Of course I will never abandon you, because all humans are born with darkness inside their hearts, even me. But it is up to us to decide what is right and wrong. And when we realize what we were doing is wrong after carelessly giving into the wickedness inside our hearts, surely love and hope shall come for us afterwards. That is why it is important for us to possess both good and evil within us. And I most certainly still need you."

For a few moments, Jeanne's doppelganger could only stare back at her in great surprise. Slowly, her look of astonishment distorts into a scowl, and she turns her head away from Jeanne in annoyance.

"Tch. You truly are a nuisance to me." Jeanne's doppelganger replied.

"And I do not mind at all." Jeanne said with a cheerful smile as she extends her hand to her. Her doppelganger looks down at her hand and stares at it for a moment before she grabs it. As Jeanne closes her eyelids, white bright light illuminates all over her body and her doppelganger slowly fades away into thin air. Velvet, Jack and Phi gazed at Jeanne in awe until the light around her disappears.

With newfound strength and confidence sparkling inside her body, Jeanne looked skyward, clasps her hands together and places them in front of her chest.

"Thank you, dear Lord." Jeanne uttered. She turns around and walks over to Velvet.

"You have my gratitude. I was able to overcome my wickedness because of your presence. You saved me." Jeanne said, giving a solemn bow of her head to Velvet.

"You're welcome." Velvet said as she bows her head back to her. She turns her head to the front of the church and lets out a heavy sigh. "I don't know if the creators will ever forgive me. Even if I go down the righteous path now, the lives of those I've killed will never come back."

"I'm sure the creators of this world will forgive everyone. But your victims won't forgive you. You can't atone for those you have killed. The same goes for me." Jeanne said calmly to Velvet with her hands behind her back.

Velvet frowns and lowers her head. "So this is a punishment I can never escape from." She said grimly. Suddenly, she felt Phi grabbing onto her right wrist. Velvet turns her head to the boy and sees him smiling back at her.

"But even if you hate yourself, you must still possess the will to protect others and prevent them from sharing the same tragic fate." Phi said.

"And I'm sure that's what the creators want all of us to do!" Jack added enthusiastically. Velvet looks back at Jeanne, who smiled at her as she gives an approving nod. Velvet momentarily looked at Phi and Jack again before turning her head back to the front of the church. With a solemn frown, Velvet nods her head and looks skyward.

"I shall fulfill that duty." Velvet uttered as she closes her eyelids. After the four remain silent for a few moments, Velvet looked back at Jeanne and said, "I have to go now. I overheard them that the Abbey is on their way here."

"And we'll come with you." Jeanne said to her. As Velvet stares at her in confusion, Jeanne turns her head to Phi and Jack. "Jack, inform the other priests about the invasion, and suit yourself up."

"Right." Jack nods her head.

"Phi, get me my armor and weapons." Jeanne said to Phi as she narrows her eyes. "We are going to war."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Ushindeshi, AquaBluey and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for reviewing and checking out my story. Thanks!**


	22. The Maid of Zinnia, Part 3

_**The Maid of Zinnia, Part 3**_

After Phi handed Jeanne her armor, she began putting it on in front of the altar. Jeanne wears her silver body armor below her chest and around the lower torso section of her purple dress. She also places silver armor plating over her black boots, chains around her neck and above her chest, and long black sleeves around her arms and hands before putting on her silver gauntlets. Finally, she closes her eyelids as she places a silver ornament over her head.

Jeanne turns around to see Phi and Jack, who inserts her daggers into her scabbards after changing her clothes to a black sleeveless vest, black panties, black stockings and dark purple shoes.

"You look good, Jeanne." Jack said as she and Phi smiled at her. Phi extends his arms out to Jeanne, holding up a dark purple scabbard to her. Jeanne takes the scabbard and wraps it around her waist before she pulls out her sword. She stares boldly at her reflection on the blade of her sword for a few moments before she sheathes it back into her scabbard.

"And now, your banner." Phi said as he turns around and picks up a long purple spear with a wrapped white flag from the wooden bench. Jacks moves aside before Phi turns back to Jeanne and hands the spear over to her. Jeanne takes it from him and unwraps the banner as she holds it up, revealing it to be a large swallowtail white flag with yellow outlines, six smaller gold fleur-de-lis symbols at its sides, and a larger gold variant of the fleur-de-lis symbol on the left center.

"Luminosité Eternelle…it is an honor to have you fight by my side again." Jeanne said to her banner with her eyes softened. As she neatly wraps the banner around her spear again, Velvet walks over to the altar to regroup with her, Phi and Jack.

"Are you ready to fight?" Velvet asked. Jeanne turns to Velvet and smiles determinedly at her.

"Yes. And it seems you are as well." Jeanne replied as she takes a good look at Velvet's new outfit, which consists of a tattered black jacket that goes all the way down to her lower legs, bandages wrapped around her left arm, a silver gauntlet around her right lower arm, a ruby-red tattered corset which reveals her midriff, black shorts, a black belt with a silver buckle around her waist, black torn stockings, silver greaves and black and silver boots.

"Sorry that this is the best clothing we have for you." Phi said to Velvet apologetically.

"It's okay." Velvet said as she holds up her left hand and curls it into a fist. "It suits me."

Jeanne gave Velvet a nod before turning her head to Jack and Phi. "Jack, Phi, tell the other priests to get ready." She ordered. It is time to join the fight."

* * *

As night falls upon Zinnia, Team Natsu, Darren, Alicia, Yuri and Sheena positioned themselves at the outskirts of town, preparing to fight against the Abbey. Natsu narrows his eyes as he and the others noticed the Abbey's bulldozers slowly driving down the hill and advancing towards their position.

"Noel and Brave Vesperia are still busy evacuating the townspeople. We have to prevent the Abbey from coming near this town no matter what." Erza, who is now dressed in her Black Wing Armor, ordered her allies. Team Natsu and the others nod their heads as they get into their battle stances.

Meanwhile, Calares, who stays behind at the crest of the hill along with the other praetors, smiles maliciously as he watches the bulldozers drive towards the town.

"Sir!" The squad leader said as he turns to Calares and hands him his telescope. "It would seem that there are some mages and swordsmen protecting the outskirts of town!"

"What?" Calares said as he snatches the telescope from the squad leader and takes a closer look. To his surprise, he spots Team Natsu, Darren, Alicia, Sheena and Yuri positioned in front of the farmhouses. Calares narrows his eyes and grits his teeth as he lowers his telescope.

"If I'm not mistaken, the woman with red hair is Titania, and the man with pink hair is the infamous Salamander." Calares muttered. "So members of Fairy Tail are protecting that town. Nevertheless, it's just eight humans and two exceeds against a hundred!"

"What do we do, sir?" The squad leader inquired as Calares returns his telescope to him.

Calares unsheathes his sword and points its blade at the town. "We all charge towards the town now, and keep the bulldozers on course!" He ordered.

The squad leader turns to the other praetors and holds up his spear. "Prepare yourselves!" He bellowed at his men. The other praetors hold up their swords and spears and yell in response.

"CHARGE!" Calares roared as he runs his way to the town. The spearmen at the front row of the army lower their spears before they and the swordsmen follow him from behind.

"Come on, everyone!" Erza shouted as she clenches the hilts of her axes. "Attack!"

Upon hearing her order, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Darren, Alicia, Sheena and Yuri charge towards the advancing bulldozers while Erza, Happy and Carla fly through the air.

Erza flies over to the first bulldozer and swings her axes down on top of the vehicle. But to her surprise, the strong armor plating of the bulldozer deflects the blades of her axes, sending Erza into a somersault through the air. Erza growls as she turns around and watches the bulldozers continue driving towards Zinnia.

"Curses! They are heavily armored!" Erza cried. Natsu slams his fists together before leaping into the air and flies over to one of the bulldozers.

"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!" Natsu roared as he brings down his flaming fist onto the top of the bulldozer. To his surprise however, when the flames die down, Natsu sees that his attack did little damage to the top of the bulldozer.

"Darn! They are immune to magic too!" Natsu yelled. To his shock, a blast of magic suddenly flies pass and barely misses Natsu's head by an inch. Natsu yelps as he ducks down and looks to the front to see the spearmen aiming their spears and shooting several energy blasts at him and Erza. Happy quickly flies over to Natsu, wraps his tail around his body and carries him into the air to get the Fire Dragon Slayer out of the line of fire.

As the others continue running towards the advancing bulldozers, Darren examines the wheels for a moment before yelling out to everyone, "Hey guys! If that is the case, aim for the wheels instead!"

Yuri gasped in realization. "Good idea!" He responded before swinging his sword upwards to fire a blast of energy at one of the bulldozers' wheels. "AZURE EDGE!"

When Yuri's attack landed on the left front wheel of the bulldozer, the tire explodes, sending the vehicle turning to the side and screeching through the grass. Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Darren, Alicia, Sheena and Yuri quickly run to the side as the bulldozer begins rolling over a few times with its metal blade detaching itself from the front of the vehicle in the process. Everyone turn their heads and look over their shoulders for a moment to see the bulldozer coming to a halt, and the operator comes out of the vehicle from the hatch and passes out.

"We did it! We took one out!" Gray cried enthusiastically as he and the others look back to the front and continue charging towards the remaining bulldozers. However, Yuri's attack caught the attention of the spearmen and they begin firing multiple blasts of energy at them.

"The enemy has taken out one of the bulldozers! STOP THEM!" Calares shouted as he aims his sword at Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Darren, Alicia, Sheena and Yuri.

"Well, try passing through us first!" Natsu suddenly yelled in response as Happy unwraps his tail around his body, letting the Fire Dragon Slayer plummet through the air. As he does, Natsu claps his flaming hands together and holds them up in the air, creating a huge ball of fire. "FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!"

He tosses the ball of fire down onto the praetors. The attack successfully landed onto several spearmen and swordsmen, sending them flying into the air as they yell in agony.

Meanwhile, Erza lands right in front of Calares, causing the leader of the army to come to a halt. The red-haired mage looks up at him with a menacing glare.

"You will leave this town alone." Erza said icily to Calares as she stood up.

Calares snorted. "The Abbey surrenders to no one, Fairy Tail scum!"

As Calares gets into his fighting stance with his sword, Erza dematerializes her axes and summons her black sword. Calares chuckled and commented, "So you will fight me fairly even though you could have used brute force with those axes of yours? How foolish."

"Says the man who would demolish a defenseless town that can't fight back." Erza retorted as she gets into her fighting stance with her sword.

"Stay silent and fight already!" Calares snapped as he makes the first strike by swinging his sword diagonally at Erza's head. Erza swiftly deflects it by swinging her sword up. The blow knocks Calares back but he quickly regains his composure and moves to the side to dodge a forward thrust attack from Erza. Erza quickly turns to Calares to block a horizontal strike from him by holding up her sword diagonally. When Calares swings his sword again vertically, Erza jumps back to dodge his attack. Calares proceeds to let loose a series of strikes at Erza, who quickly blocks all of them with her own sword. Erza dodges the last strike from Calares by moving to the side before she thrusts her sword at her opponent again. Calares blocks her attack and the two stayed in a stalemate as they push their swords against each other.

Meanwhile, Natsu grabs a praetor by his neck, slams him onto the grass and delivers a powerful punch to his head to knock him out. Afterwards, he turns around sees a spear-wielding praetor charging towards him from behind. Natsu quickly grabs onto his spear, throws him up into the air and slams him onto the ground. As Natsu throws the spear away, he turns and throws a punch directly into the face of a swordsman who came running towards him.

But as multiple praetors surround and attack Natsu, and Erza is occupied with Calares, the other praetors take the opportunity to charge towards the direction of the town and engage in battle with Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Darren, Alicia, Sheena and Yuri.

Gray holds out his hand to an advancing bulldozer and shouted, "ICE MAKE: WALL!"

A huge wall of ice magically appears in front of the bulldozer and stops its advance. However, inside the bulldozer, the praetor pushes down the lever and steps harder on the acceleration pedal, causing the wheels of the vehicle to move faster and adding pressure to Gray's makeshift wall.

Gray rolls over to the side and as he gets up, he extends his arms and aims his hands at the wheels of the bulldozer. "ICE MAKE-AH!"

Unfortunately, before he could finish his chant and unleash his attack, his attempt was foiled by an energy blast that successfully flew above his arms, leaving two slashes across them and causing Gray to lower them. He turns his head to the side and sees the advancing spearmen who fired their energy blasts with their spears.

Wendy quickly rushes over to Gray and stood in front of him. She inhales a huge amount of air and fires a huge blast of wind out of her mouth at the spearmen. "SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!"

The blast sends the spearmen flying through the air as they drop their spears. Wendy turns around, places her hands above Gray's wounds and uses her magic to heal him.

"Thanks, Wendy." Gray said to her as the slashes across his arms disappear. Meanwhile, a huge portion of Gray's ice wall had shattered and the bulldozer continues its path towards Zinnia.

"Oh no!" Wendy cried as Gray quickly gets up.

"Don't worry! I got this!" Sheena yelled as she rushes over to the left side of the bulldozer. She throws several papers at the bulldozer's wheels and swiftly made several hand gestures. As the papers landed on the wheels, they illuminate bright purple light and exploded, causing the bulldozer to tip over and turn sideways as it loses control of itself. Gray runs over and leaps to the top section of the bulldozer. He opens up the hatch and pulls the operator out of the vehicle before he jumps off as it came to a halt.

"Way a go, Sheena!" Wendy calls out to her with a cheerful smile.

"Nah, it was nothing." Sheena sheepishly smiled back at her as she places her hands at the sides of her hip.

"That's one down, but there are two more to go!" Gray said as he watches the remaining two bulldozers continue driving their way to the farmhouses.

Meanwhile, Yuri, Darren and Lucy hold up their weapons and place their backs against each other as the sword-wielding praetors surround them.

"These guys are stopping us from dealing with the bulldozers!" Darren said to Yuri and Lucy.

"I know right? They are a pain in the ass!" Yuri replied in frustration before two praetors run over and swing their swords at them. Yuri and Darren quickly swing their swords to deflect their attacks while Lucy ducks down to the dodge the praetor's attack and sweeps her leg across the ground, tripping him off his feet.

Two more praetors try to run up to Lucy, but Alicia throws and whirls her yo-yos around their legs. She gave them a hard pull, causing the praetors to trip over to the grass.

"Thanks, Alicia!" Lucy replied as she gets up.

After knocking out the fallen praetors by stomping onto the back of their heads, Alicia looks up at Lucy and replied, "No problem!"

After pushing the praetor away from him and kicking him in the gut, Yuri turns to Alicia and calls out to her, "On your left!"

Alicia turns to the side and gasps as she sees a praetor running up to her and about to thrust her sword at her. Suddenly, in incredible speed, Sheena runs over and places herself in front of the praetor. She ducks down and pushes her as she places a paper onto her torso. As the praetor drops her sword and backs away, Sheena jumps back and stood beside Alicia and smirks as she made several hand gestures. The paper explodes and the praetor yells in agony as she is sent falling onto the grass.

"Thanks for your help, Sheena." Alicia said, smiling at Sheena.

"Heh, don't mention it." Sheena replied to her with a small smile.

After knocking the sword out of his hand with a single swing, Darren throws a punch into the praetor's abdomen with his left fist, causing him to bend over. He finishes it off by using his left elbow to knock the praetor out by the back of his head. As the praetor falls onto the grass, Darren turns and widens his eyes in horror as the two remaining bulldozers are nearing the farmhouses, and Gray and Wendy are occupied with some praetors who are preventing them from going near the vehicles.

"Those remaining two bulldozers are about to reach the town! We are not going to make it!" Darren cried in horror.

As Alicia and Sheena turn themselves to the direction of the town, the two girls narrow their eyes as they notice a large group of people running through the farmhouses and making their way towards the bulldozers.

"Wait, what's that?" Sheena said in confusion.

Alicia widens her eyes and lets out a soft gasp when she recognized the woman who is leading the group. "That's…"

As she boldly stares at the advancing bulldozers, Jeanne aims the tip of her spear at the enemy vehicles as she proclaimed to Phi and the priests who are following behind her, "Come, valiant fighters! Defend this town and drive the enemy back with your strength and courage!"

Phi and the priests cry in response as they and Jeanne leave the outskirts of town and charge straight towards the bulldozers while Velvet and Jack leap from rooftop to rooftop of every farmhouse.

When she is near the nearest bulldozer, Jeanne swiftly thrusts her spear through the front window of the bulldozer. The spear narrowly misses the praetor's head by an inch, but this causes her to yelp and accidentally turns the vehicle to the side. Jeanne lifts herself off the ground and holds onto her spear tightly until the vehicle came to a halt. When it did, Jeanne places her feet back on the ground and removes her spear from the broken window just as ten priests climb onto the bulldozer and open up the hatch, pulling the operator out of her vehicle. As the priests aim their weapons at her, the praetor places her hands onto the back of her helmet as she helplessly laid there.

Meanwhile, Phi and six other priests stood in front of the remaining bulldozer and place their hands together as they close their eyes and chant.

"Blade of heaven will pierce my enemies!" Phi and the priests chanted in unison as magical circles appear below their feet. A few seconds later, they look back at the advancing bulldozer and scream as a larger magical circle appears below the vehicle, "DIVINE SABER!"

Several bolts of lightning strike upon the bulldozer, destroying its wheels in the process and causing the vehicle to come to an abrupt halt. When the magical circle disappears, Jack leaps on top of the bulldozer and opens the hatch. The praetor comes out and thrusts his sword at her, but Jack quickly blocks it with her daggers. She pushes back the sword and grabs the praetor by his collar. He yells as she throws him out of the bulldozer.

After Jack jumps down from vehicle, Velvet lands in front of the bulldozer and as she pulls back her left arm, it transforms into its gigantic demonic form. Velvet grabs the bulldozer's blade with her demonic claw and lifts it up into the air. She lets out a ferocious yell as she tosses it over to the advancing praetors, causing them to scream, turn around and flee before the vehicle lands onto the ground behind them. Velvet turns her head and sees Gray and Wendy looking back at her in astonishment as several praetors laid on the ground unconscious around the two.

"T-thank you." Gray responded. Velvet simply nods her head to him and Wendy before she looks back to her front and runs towards the praetors.

Meanwhile, Jeanne thrusts her spear at a swordsman, who manages to block the tip of her weapon with his sword. But the impact of Jeanne's attack pushes him back, sending him flying through the air and knock against three other praetors in the process.

Jeanne turns to her right and sees a spearman swinging her spear diagonally at her. Jeanne swings her spear diagonally as well to block the attack and sending the spearman stumbling backwards. When the spearman looks back at Jeanne, she proceeds to deliver several diagonal swings of her spear at her. Jeanne quickly blocks all of them before she delivers an overhead strike with her own spear. The spearman holds up her weapon to block it, but to her shock, Jeanne's spear broke through the shaft of her spear, splitting it in half. Jeanne finishes her off by swinging her spear horizontally across the praetor's head, knocking her out with the shaft of her weapon.

Suddenly, a praetor yells as he runs over to Jeanne and grabs the top section of her spear. Jeanne tries to pull it out of his grip, but the praetor relentlessly held onto it, preventing her from swinging her weapon. Three swordsmen try to take the opportunity to run over to Jeanne from the side and attack her.

However, to their surprise, Jeanne quickly draws out her sword from her scabbard and swings it horizontally at the nearest praetor. The praetor manages to block it, but her swing knocks his sword out of his hands and Jeanne lifts her leg up and delivers a kick directly into his abdomen, sending him sprawling through the grass. Another praetor delivers a downward vertical swing of her sword at Jeanne. Jeanne swings her sword upwards and horizontally to deflect the attack, causing the praetor to back away. The third praetor runs over to Jeanne and thrusts his sword at her lower torso. Jeanne dodges the attack by moving to the side and knocks the praetor out by slamming the bottom of her sword against the side of his head. As the third praetor falls to the ground, Jeanne turns back to the second praetor as she proceeds to deliver a few horizontal swings with her sword. Jeanne blocks all of them before the praetor suddenly swings her sword diagonally at her, aiming for her neck. Jeanne swiftly swings her sword diagonally upwards to deflect the attack and knocking the sword out of her hand. Jeanne turns her sword around and swings the bottom of its hilt across the praetor's face to knock her out unconscious.

Finally, Jeanne leaps into the air while still holding onto her spear. As the praetor also held firmly onto the top section of her spear, he watches Jeanne in awe as she flies above his head and lands right behind him. The praetor turns around to face his opponent again. But before he could react, Jeanne removes her hand from her spear, runs up to him and delivers an uppercut attack to the bottom of his jaw with the bottom of her sword. This causes the praetor to stumble backwards and tosses her spear into the air. Jeanne quickly turns and catches her spear with her right hand. She finished him off by turning to the praetor and swinging her spear across his face, knocking him to the ground.

As all four praetors lie on the ground unconscious, Jeanne casually turns around, places her spear down and sheathes her sword back into her scabbard as Alicia, Darren, Lucy, Sheena and Yuri go over to her.

"It's good to see you here, Jeanne." Alicia said to Jeanne, smiling in relief.

"Welcome to the party." Sheena said with a smirk as she gave Jeanne a thumbs-up.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Yuri Lowell." Yuri greeted her.

Jeanne smiled back at the five as she gave a solemn nod to them. "Thank you, all of you, for helping me come to my senses." She said to them gratefully.

"You're welcome, and we're glad that you showed up with your friends to provide backup for us." Darren replied with a smile.

"But if we are done chatting, we still got a lot more praetors to deal with." Lucy said as she turns her head and sees more praetors running over to them. Jeanne holds up her spear as she and the others turn to their enemies and get into their fighting stances.

"Then let us do battle!" Jeanne cried before they all charge at the praetors.

Meanwhile, Natsu punches another praetor down before a spearman successfully thrusts his spear across the Dragon Slayer's left upper arm from behind. Natsu yells in pain before he turns around and punches the spearman in the face with his right fist. However, two more praetors take the opportunity to go over to Natsu from behind and knock him out by hitting the back of his head with the bottom of their swords.

As Natsu falls onto the grass on his face, the two praetors quickly kneel down and pin him to the ground while another spearman walks over to him. Natsu growls as he struggles to break free, but the praetors continue to restrain him as the spearman aims the tip of his spear at the top of his head and prepares to bring it down.

But before he could, Jack suddenly appears by leaping through the air and kicks him at the side of his head, causing him to stumble and drop his spear. Natsu and the praetors widen their eyes in surprise for a moment before the Dragon Slayer lets out a furious roar as he finally manages to get up and pushes the praetors back, sending them falling onto the ground on their backs. After getting up, Natsu turns around and delivers a powerful punch directly into the face of one of the praetors, knocking him out. The other praetor tries to get up but Jack jumps over to him and lands on his chest, causing him to scream in agony. Jack lifts her foot up and stomps onto his face to knock him out.

"Thanks." Natsu said to her with a grin. Jack smiled back at him as she nods her head. Suddenly, to Natsu's surprise, several more priests charge towards the praetors and they all clash their swords against each other. "Wait, are they from the church?"

"Yes." Jack said as she and Natsu watch the priests fight against the Abbey's forces. "Most of them were former members of guilds or the Rune Knights before they retire and settle down in Zinnia."

"Interesting." Natsu replied. He and Jack turn to their left as the squad leader and three other praetors run up to them. They get into their fighting stances as Natsu said, "Come on! Let's take them out!"

"Right!" Jack replied before she and Natsu run over to the praetors.

The squad leader thrusts his spear at Natsu, who dodges his attack by swiftly moving to the side. As he does, Natsu throws his flaming fist at the squad leader's head and punches him directly into his face to knock him out. Jack slides through the grass and slashes the legs of two praetors as she pass by them, causing them to yell in agony as they collapse on their knees. Jack gets up and leaps into the air to dodge a horizontal strike from the third praetor. Jack lands onto the praetor and wraps her legs around her head before she whirls around, tripping the praetor over and slams her face onto the ground as she and Jack land. After removing her legs and getting back up, Jack turns around and knocks the two praetors out by hitting the back of their heads with the bottom of her daggers.

Meanwhile, Calares lets loose a series of swift strikes at Erza with his sword. But thanks to her Black Wing Armor, she manages to keep up with his attacks and blocks all of them. After deflecting Calares' last horizontal strike, Erza leaps back and flies up into the sky, swinging her sword in a cross pattern.

"MOON FLASH!" Erza shouted as two diagonal blasts of energy that formed a large X flies over to Calares.

"SHIELD!" Calares shouted as he extends out his hand and creates a large rectangular-shaped magical wall that blocks Erza's attack. Afterwards, as the wall disappears, Calares thrusts his sword through the air and fires a swift blast of energy at Erza. "SUTHERLAND STRIKE!"

Erza quickly flies to the side, but the blast of energy manages to pierce through the left wing of her armor, causing her to fall back to the ground. Erza quickly gets up, but Calares quickly responded by delivering a horizontal swing of his sword at her.

"SUTHERLAND SLASH!" Calares shouted again as a horizontal blast of energy flies over to Erza. It hits Erza on her torso, causing her to yell as she is sent flying through the air and landing on the ground on her back. Calares swiftly goes over and appears above Erza, pointing his sword at her face.

"How delightful!" Calares said with a malicious grin. "I, Second Lieutenant Calares, will have the honor of slaying the infamous Titania! I can already imagine it. Calares, the Great Titania Slayer!"

Erza snorted as she looks back at Calares with an arched eyebrow. "Seriously? That's so subtle. Can't you be any more creative?"

"Silence, you scum!" Calares snapped back at her with his eyes flashed with anger. "NOW DIE!"

But just before Calares could deliver a thrust to Erza's neck, Velvet suddenly runs over to him and throws her clenched demonic fist right into his gut. Calares gasped in pain as Velvet sends him sprawling through the ground.

Erza's eyes widened as she sees Velvet standing before her. "You…" She uttered. Velvet turns to Erza and extends her demonic claw to her.

"I'll explain later. Shall we fight together for now?" Velvet asked. Erza stares back at her for a moment, feeling uncertain if she should work alongside a woman who fought for the Abbey. But even still, she can't help but express her gratitude towards her for saving her life. Eventually, Erza grabs Velvet's claw and the former praetor pulls her up from the ground.

"Thank you for helping me." Erza said to her. Velvet nods her head to her before the two turn back to Calares who is now standing and staring back at the former praetor in shock.

"Lieutenant Velvet Crowe?! Why?!" Calares said incredulously. Velvet remains silent as she and Erza get into their fighting stances. Calares' look of shock soon distorts into an ugly scowl. "H-H-How dare you side with the guild of scums known as Fairy Tail?! You will pay dearly for your foolishness and betrayal to the Abbey!"

Suddenly, five more praetors go over and surround Erza and Velvet with their swords and spears. Velvet casually responds to Calares, "Foolishness? Don't make me laugh. All of you are fools for mindlessly letting yourselves be controlled by someone whom you don't even know."

This response not only confuses Erza, but the surrounding praetors as well as they lower their weapons and look at each other.

Calares, who is quivering with rage after feeling insulted by Velvet's response, bellowed at his soldiers, "What are you all doing?! Don't let your guard down because of some nonsensical comment from this traitor!" As the praetors obliged and go back to their battle stances, Calares holds up his sword in front of him and shouts at Velvet, "First you betrayed the Abbey, now you dare insult our intelligence?! I hereby deliver you a slow and painful death, Velvet Crowe!"

Velvet snorted. "Such ignorance. No wonder why you are a Second Lieutenant."

Feeling as if he has been pushed over the edge, Calares lets out a ferocious yell as he and the praetors charge over to Erza and Velvet. Erza swiftly turns to two praetors and easily took them out by swinging her sword horizontally and knocks them with a horizontal blast of energy.

From the side, another praetor thrusts his spear at Erza, who quickly dodges the attack by backing away. As she turns to the praetor, she swings her sword diagonally, slicing the top section of his spear off from the rest of his weapon. As the praetor cries helplessly as he drops his spear, Erza swiftly flies over and knocks him out with the hilt of her sword.

After delivering a punch across Calares's face, which sends him falling to the ground, Velvet turns to another praetor who thrusts his spear at her. Velvet moves to the side to dodge his attack and swiftly grabs his spear with her demonic claw. As the praetor stares back at her in shock and horror, Velvet clenches her claw, breaking the shaft of his spear in the process. She swiftly goes near the praetor and performs a backward somersault, delivering an upward vertical kick to the bottom of his jaw in the process. When Velvet lands back down on the ground, she throws a punch to the praetor's abdomen with her demonic fist, sending him sprawling through the grass.

Another praetor runs over to her and swings her sword diagonally at her. As she withdraws her blade from her gauntlet, Velvet turns to the praetor and blocks her sword with it.

"How dare you betray the Abbey, Velvet Crowe?!" The praetor barked at her as she and Velvet push their weapons against each other.

"I woke up. What about you?" Velvet responded before she manages to push the praetor back with all of her strength. Erza suddenly goes over to the praetor from behind and knocks the back of her head with the hilt of her sword. As the praetor collapses onto the ground unconscious, Erza and Velvet smile at each other.

As Calares gets up back, he snarls and holds up his sword again as strands of hair now dangled in front of his eyes.

"We the Abbey will never stand down! We will make our enemies live with our blades in front of their throats and breathe by our permission!" Calares shouted. Without hesitation, Calares charges towards Erza and Velvet.

However, to his surprise, Erza swiftly uses her right fist to deliver an uppercut to the bottom of his jaw when he goes near them. This causes Calares to momentarily stumble backwards before Velvet turns around and swings her leg, kicking him across his face. As Calares whirls about and turns back to Erza, she swings her sword diagonally and fires a blast of energy at him.

"SHIELD!" Calares shouted as he extends out his hand to create a magical wall to block Erza's attack. But he failed to notice Velvet running over to him and deliver several punches across his face with her demonic fist. Finally, Erza finishes the fight by flying into the air and delivers two diagonal swings with her sword.

"MOON FLASH!" She shouted as she fires two diagonal blasts of energy which form a large X that flies over to Calares. Velvet leaps back and the blast hits Calares, sending him flying through the air and landing on the ground on his face.

As Erza lands back on her feet, Calares groans as he tries to get up. But when he lifts his head up, he is surprised to see the tip of Jeanne's spear aiming directly at his face. Calares slowly lifts his head up further to see Jeanne standing right in front of him with her eyes narrowed.

"You, commander of the enemy! If you truly cherish your life, surrender now!" Jeanne proclaimed to him.

Calares took a minute to look around his surroundings. Behind Jeanne, he sees the squad leader and several praetors kneeling on the ground with their hands placed at the back of their heads as Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Darren, Alicia, Yuri, Sheena, Phi, Jack and the priests stood behind them.

He could also see that near Zinnia's farmhouses, he finds all four bulldozers damaged and abandoned by their operators. Knowing that he no longer has any chance to fight back, Calares grits his teeth and lowers his head in defeat. He tosses his sword aside as tears form in his eyes.

"I…I can't believe I'll go down in history…as the Abbey's worst commander." Calares uttered before he lies back down on the ground and plants his face on the grass as he began weeping and sobbing in sorrow.

Jeanne removes her spear away from Calares as she turns around to face her allies. With a solemn frown on her face, Jeanne holds her spear up in the air while the large flag unwraps and reveals itself as it blows through the wind. The beautiful sight causes Team Natsu and the others to cheer and hold their weapons and fists up in the air.

Her lips slowly form into a wide triumphant smile as Jeanne watches her allies celebrate their victory against the Abbey with the entire view of the perfectly unharmed town of Zinnia behind them. The sight greatly reminded her of the French victory over the Siege of Orleans. It was when she first became a national hero to France for liberating the city and helping to turn the tide in their war against the English and Burgundians. Since then, she is forever remembered by her people as the Maid of Orleans.

Now, she will also be remembered by the people of this small town as the Maid of Zinnia.

* * *

The next night, the townspeople of Zinnia proceed onward with the Harvest Festival and everyone gathered at the town square to celebrate both the holiday and their victory against the Abbey.

As the lights illuminate the entire town and the musicians and dancers are performing in the center, Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia, Darren, Alicia, Yuri, Sheena, Noel, Velvet, the priests and the other townspeople sat behind several long tables that are placed at both sides of the town square. The tables are filled with tons of food that the people have gathered and harvested over the past year, and everybody ate and drank to their hearts' content.

On one of the long tables at the left side of the town square, Erza, Jeanne, Alicia, Darren, Lucy, Carla, Estelle, Judith, Noel, and Velvet are conversing with each other as they eat and drink. On another long table placed at the other side, Natsu and Jack are eating their food frantically, competing against each other on who can eat the most. Happy, Wendy, Gray, Yuri, Karol, Sheena and Phi are cheering and hooting for them as they stood behind and watch the two chowing on their food.

In the end however, Natsu grabs a bucket from the floor and coughs out all of the contents from his mouth while Jack gets up from her chair and smiles triumphantly as she places her hands at the sides of her hips. Happy, Wendy and Gray pat Natsu's back as the Fire Dragon Slayer gags out all of his food while Yuri, Karol, Sheena and Phi applaud for Jack. Erza and Jeanne laughed at the sight of Jack winning the food fight against Natsu before they turn their heads to each other.

"I always love it when we can all come together and enjoy such joy and happiness that our lives have to offer." Jeanne said to her.

"Me too." Erza replied. "And if you hadn't joined the fight against the Abbey, none of this would have been possible."

Jeanne nods her head before asking Erza, "How is the prisoner doing?"

"According to Noel, Calares is locked up securely in the town's prison. She had contacted the Rune Knights to send a unit to escort him back to the Magic Council, and the bulldozers outside the town will serve as evidence to their attempted invasion." Erza explained. "You could have arrested the other praetors too because they would have provided the Magic Council more information. So why did you let them go?"

"Even though the Abbey is my enemy, their soldiers are still human beings whose souls are made by the creators of your world. And I believe the creators do not desire suffering and bloodshed upon their creations." Jeanne replied.

"That's true." Erza said with a wide smile. "You really are an honorable warrior, Jeanne d'Arc."

"She always has." Alicia added. Jeanne turns her head to her, Darren, Lucy, Carla, Estelle, Judith, Noel, and Velvet who all smile at her. Jeanne chuckled as she smiles back at them.

When the musical performance came to end, the townspeople cheered and applauded as the mayor and his assistant walk over to the center of the town square. The two turn around to face the townspeople before the mayor announced to them, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure for me to present this gift to our savior and defender, Jeanne d'Arc!"

Jeanne widens her eyes as the mayor extends his hand out to her and the townspeople cheer and applaud again. She turns to Erza and Alicia who both gesture her to go over to him and his assistant. Jeanne looks at Natsu, Jack and the others at the opposite side of the square, and they smile and nod their heads to her.

Jeanne gets up from her chair and walks her way over to the mayor. They both shake hands with each other before the assistant goes over to Jeanne and holds up her gift to her, which is a wooden basket that contains an apple pie, apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries, a loaf of bread, a jar of strawberry jam and a bottle of wine with a large ribbon tied to a bow around it. A wide smile takes form on Jeanne's face as she takes the gift from the mayor's assistant. She turns around and watches everyone around her applauding from their hero.

"Thank you, all of you. I am honored and blessed by your warm reception. But honestly, I'm not the only one who saved this town. All of you did your part in our victory against the Abbey as well. If it wasn't for our combined efforts, we would never be celebrating this joyous occasion right now. And as I've watched you all work, fight and play together, I realized the true potential of humanity. All of us are capable in achieving unity and happiness if we set our minds to it, just like what our creators intended us to do. That is why, as both the hero of this town and a servant of our creators, I vow to continue my fight against the Abbey so that everyone, not just the people of Zinnia, but all of Earth Land can overcome these dark times and regain our peace and prosperity!"

Everyone present in the town square, including Team Natsu, Darren, Alicia, Sheena, Yuri, Brave Vesperia, Velvet, Noel and the priests all stood up from their chairs and erupt with cheers and applause again after Jeanne finished her speech. As she watches everyone applaud for her, Jeanne's cheeks blushed as she smiled blissfully and held her arms tightly around her gift.

However, the joyful moment was interrupted when suddenly, to the shock of Team Natsu and the others, Noel moans and rolls her eyes back as she falls back on her seat and faint.

"Noel!" Judith cried as she places her hand over Noel's forehead. Erza, Lucy, Carla, Darren, Alicia, Estelle and Velvet quickly go over and gather around Noel in concern.

"Hey! What's going on?!" Natsu yelled as soon as he, Happy, Wendy, Gray, Yuri, Karol, Sheena, Jack and Phi noticed what happened to Noel. They also rush over to the other side of the town square and regroup with the others, causing the townspeople to look at them in bewilderment and concern. Jeanne passes her gift back to the mayor's assistant before she too rushes over to Noel.

"Her forehead feels hot. She must be having a fever. Estelle is attending to her right now." Judith explained to everyone around her and Noel. After she finished casting her healing arte, Estelle removes her hands from Noel's chest. But much to their dismay, the Rune Knight's eyelids remain closed and her body temperature stays the same.

"Noel, can you hear me?" Estelle asked. "Noel!"

When Noel still didn't respond, the others began to panic.

"It's no use! She's not waking up!" Wendy cried.

"What should we do?! She is in critical condition!" Darren yelled.

"Does this town have a hospital?" Gray asked Jeanne.

"There's a clinic at the southwest area of this town. Take her with us!" Jeanne replied.

"No!" Noel suddenly spoke up, much to the surprise of everyone around her.

"What?" Lucy said dumbfounded.

Noel opens her eyes and lifts her head up. After Judith removes her hand from her forehead, Noel instructs everyone around her as she points at the church, "Take me to the church. I have something to share with all of you."

Everyone look at each other in confusion for a few moments before they eventually agree. Natsu goes over to Noel's side and carries her up in his arms.

"This way." Jack said as she and Phi escort Natsu and the others to the church while the townspeople continue to stand idly and watch them.

When they arrived at the entrance to the church, Jack and Phi open the doors, allowing Natsu to enter the building with Noel in his arms. Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Darren, Alicia, Sheena, Yuri, Velvet, Jeanne and Brave Vesperia all follow him from behind.

"Take me to the altar." Noel said weakly to Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer nods his head as he and the others continue walking through the interior of the church. Jack and Phi close the doors before the two join up with them. When they arrive at the altar, Natsu carefully places Noel down on the nearest wooden bench. As he and the others gather around her again, Noel closes her eyes and lies back on the bench.

Everyone silently stare at her in confusion until a few seconds later, Noel moans again as her body began to illuminate with bright white light, causing Team Natsu and the others to cover their eyes and turn their heads away from her. A white spirit begins pulling herself out from Noel's body and places her bare feet onto the floor.

Soon after, the light dies down. Team Natsu and the others open their eyes and look back at the wooden bench to see what had happened. To their relief, Noel slowly opens her eyes and lifts her head up as she regains her consciousness. But to their surprise, there is also now a new person present in the church, placing herself between them and Noel.

When the light around her finally fades away, the person reveals herself to be a small girl with green eyes and long wavy pale blonde hair that goes all the way down to the back of her thighs. She wears wing-like adornments around her ears, small-hoop earrings and a frilly, pink layered robe with a red ribbon tied to a bow around her neck, and decorated with three blue diamond patterns with two blue triangles above.

As the girl looks up at everyone standing in front of her, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Jeanne and Jack all widen their eyes and gape their mouths open in astonishment.

"It's you…" Jeanne whispered.

"Y-y-y-you are…" Lucy struggled to speak as she continued gazing at the all too familiar person that she and her guildmates thought they would never see again.

"Hello Fairy Tail." The girl said as her lips curved into a warm smile. "It's been a long time."

When he finally regains control of his vocal cords, Natsu managed to utter a name from his mouth, " _Mavis_ …"

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would to thank Ushindeshi, AquaBluey, animelover2177 and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for reviewing, favoriting, following and checking out this story.**

 **They are finally reunited with Mavis (at last), so what is going to happen now? Stay tune for the next chapter!**


	23. Revelations

_**Revelations**_

Erza's eyes are brimmed with small tears as she gazes at Mavis. "Yes, it has been a while, First Master." She said softly.

"Mavis! We missed you so much!" Lucy cried, giving her a wide smile as tears of joy roll down her cheeks.

"Mavis!" Happy cried as well as he, Carla and Wendy wipe away their tears.

"You're alive and well!" Wendy added.

"It's good to see you again." Carla said with her lips curved slightly into a small smile.

"I never thought we would." Gray said with a wan smile as he and Natsu try their best to fight back their tears, even though a few unchecked ones are already starting to trickle down their cheeks.

"So this girl…is Mavis Vermillion." Darren murmured. Sheena nods her head as she and Darren stares at the girl in awe.

Natsu tugged his lips downward and gave Mavis a solemn nod. "Welcome back, First Master." He said.

Mavis giggled as she smiled cheerfully at the members of Team Natsu. "Thank you very much. And it's nice to see you all doing fine and keeping the spirit of our guild alive." She said.

After the members of Team Natsu wipe away their tears, Lucy asked Mavis in confusion, "First Master, I don't understand. I thought you have disappeared along with Zeref after he drained all of your magic."

"I did." Mavis nods her head to Lucy. "But eleven months later, I sensed the presence of the Abbey, which threatens the peace that we have fought so hard to achieve for all of Earth Land. So I had no choice but to leave the afterlife and return back here through the only relative I have left who is still alive in this world as my vessel."

"Relative?" Noel said incredulously.

Mavis turns around and smiles at her. "That's right, Noel. You are my daughter." The members of Fairy Tail gasp in response.

"W-w-wait!" Lucy shakes her hands frantically. "How?! I thought you were in a comatose state for 95 years, First Master!"

"True. But that didn't stop me from giving birth to my son August, and my daughter Noel, shortly after I fell into a coma and trapped inside Fairy Heart ever since. But while my son was able to be conceived shortly afterwards, Noel did not until 77 years later. And Zeref and I only know about the existence of our children after we died together." Mavis explained.

Noel gazed wordlessly at Mavis for a few moments, trying to comprehend what she had heard from her. Eventually, she lowers her head and trembled as tears formed inside her eyes.

"I-It…It does make sense now…" Noel said softly as her tears roll down her cheeks unchecked. "All I ever remembered during my childhood was my full name…and that before I was adopted…I was found by nuns who raised me in an orphanage…with no memories of my past at all…"

"I'm so sorry for not realizing that I was pregnant before I fell into a comatose state that day. Will you ever forgive me, Noel?" Mavis asked.

Noel looked back up at Mavis again just as she walks up to her. As she grits her teeth, Noel got up from the bench and wraps her arms around Mavis. As Noel wails while resting her chin on her shoulder, Mavis closes her eyelids and hugs her daughter back.

"Oh mom…I finally found you…it's been so long…" Noel whimpered.

"And I'm glad we can finally meet together personally, Noel." Mavis replied as she rubs Noel's back. Team Natsu and the others smile as they idly watch the tearful reunion between a mother and a daughter. When Noel is finally able to bring her sobs to an end, she pulls herself away from Mavis and wipes away her tears.

"If you were inside me the whole time, why didn't you show yourself until now?" Noel questioned her mother.

"Because I was waiting for the right time to finally explain everything to Fairy Tail. I was relieved when you encountered Team Natsu back at Port Zekson, but I kept waiting a little longer until you have a former enemy within your presence." Mavis explained.

"That would be me, isn't it?" Velvet asked.

"Correct." Mavis turns to Velvet and nods her head.

"So it was also you who warned me about the Abbey's invasion inside my head." Noel said.

Mavis chuckled and turned back to her daughter. "Yes, that's right."

"So what is it, First Master? What is it that you wanted to explain to all of us?" Erza demanded.

"And why did you bestow this katana upon me?" Darren added as he points his finger at the hilt of his weapon sheathed behind his back.

"Be patient, Darren Leong." Mavis said calmly as she turns around to face everyone again. "I will answer your question soon."

"H-how did you know my name?" Darren asked incredulously, staring blankly at Mavis.

"But first, I must explain to everyone here…" Suddenly, Mavis's eyes furrowed as her lips flipped into a solemn frown. "About the origin of the Abbey, and their true objective."

While everybody else present in the church gasped, Natsu narrows his eyes and said furiously to Mavis, "So far, we know that their leader is the former Guild Master of Raven Tail and Laxus's good-for-nothing father, Ivan Dreyar!"

"And even his ally Nullpudding became a captain of his new army." Erza added. "According to him, they made a new friend fourteen months ago and present them a brand new opportunity to take revenge on our guild and the Magic Council."

"And they have been doing so by invading towns and cities throughout the southern parts of Fiore to build up their army and reputation." Gray said. "What is going on, First Master?"

"Shouldn't they and the rest of Raven Tail be in prison right now?" Wendy asked.

"While Kurohebi is still serving their life sentences, and Flare Corona have since defected them, Ivan Dreyar and Nullpudding on the other hand, did manage to escape from prison a month before our guild was reunited. I wished I could have known about this before we began our fight against the Alvarez Empire." Mavis explained grimly.

"How did they escape?" Karol asked.

"A dark mage managed to break into prison and free them. This woman would eventually become their most powerful ally yet. Her name…is Cornelia Corningston." Mavis replied.

"Cornelia…Corningston?" Estelle uttered in shock.

"What's wrong? You know her?" Lucy asked Estelle as everyone turned their heads to her.

Estelle stares dumbly at Lucy and slowly nods her head. "Yes. I do. She was a researcher back at Zaphias, and she worked directly under my town's government before I became mayor. But last year, an explosion happened at the town hall, and everyone, including Cornelia, the previous mayor and the other members of the town council are all confirmed dead. I was the only surviving council member because I was sent away on a diplomatic mission to Hargeon at the time." She turns her head to Mavis and inquired, "How is Cornelia still alive?!"

"She faked her death. The body that your people found from the remains of the destruction was a fake." Mavis replied.

"Why is she teaming up with Ivan and Nullpudding now?" Natsu asked.

"Cornelia told them that she had successfully created a machine that can transport people from other worlds into Earth Land." Mavis answered.

"A machine? That transports people here to Earth Land?" Carla said dumbfounded.

"That sounds similar to the Eclipse Gate which was used to transport dragons from the past into our present." Lucy murmured.

"Could this machine…" Alicia paused momentarily as she and Darren turn to each other with their eyes wide. "Be the reason for us and many others being transported here to Earth Land?"

"Yes." Mavis replied to Alicia. Alicia and Darren turn back to the First Master in astonishment.

"It does make sense. Cornelia told the town council twice that she believed in the existence of other worlds besides Earth Land. But on both occasions, everyone in Zaphias, both the council and the townspeople, think she was delusional." Estelle said, cupping her chin.

"What makes her believe that?" Gray asked Estelle.

"Eight years ago, while she was travelling through a forest, she witnessed a portal forming in the sky. Thousands of exceeds came flying out of it before a short while later, another portal was formed, and this time, a few humans came falling out from it. This makes her believe that there are other humans out there, living in other worlds above the skies of Earth Land." Estelle explained.

Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Happy and Carla all stared at her dumbfounded, causing Estelle to look back at them in confusion.

"Umm, is there something wrong?" Estelle asked questioningly as she removes her hand from her chin. The members of Team Natsu laugh nervously as they rub the back of their necks, place their arms behind their backs or turn their heads away from her.

"Oh, nothing. Really." Lucy replied, chuckling.

"Yeah." Natsu shrugged. "We didn't know that. That's an interesting explanation you gave us, Estelle."

"You guys are the ones who fall out from that portal that day, weren't you?" Yuri deadpanned. The members of Team Natsu startled before they all sigh heavily.

"Yes, we are." Happy replied.

"That's…interesting." Alicia said, staring blankly at them.

"Despite being the greatest guild in Fiore, you guys still suck at keeping secrets." Sheena remarked as she folds her arms.

"So Cornelia was right after all." Estelle said, lowering her head. "We should have believed her."

Mavis coughed, getting everyone's attention. As they all look back at her, Mavis lowers her arm and continued, "As I was saying…It took eight years for Cornelia to create this machine that serves as a bridge between Earth and Earth Land, but she didn't begin transporting people from the other world into ours until a year later."

"Why is she doing this? What does she want to accomplish by transporting me, Alicia and many others from our world into yours?" Darren asked Mavis.

"To help build her army." Velvet replied. Everyone except Mavis turned to Velvet and stared at her in mortified horror.

"W-what?" Erza uttered.

"It's true." Velvet said grimly. "The praetors are not only made up of former residents of towns and cities that the Abbey had conquered, but also people from the other world. I was originally a resident of the town of Aball, until one day, the Abbey showed up and destroyed my home. They round up the survivors, including me, back to their headquarters, where they brainwashed all of us, and turn us into one of them. We were also ordered to find the exact locations of the magicless people after they were transported into Earth Land."

"That's insane…" Lucy managed to say as she trembled.

"You mean all this time…" Natsu muttered incredulously as he looks down at his shaking hands. "We were fighting against the people we are supposed to be helping?!"

"Remember back in Hargeon where Jude and Leia were confused over why they are dressed as praetors?" Wendy asked Sheena.

"Yeah." Sheena nodded. "It makes so much sense now."

"The praetors…are actually…our own people?" Alicia murmured in horror.

"No way…" Darren muttered dumbly.

"How did the Abbey brainwash you and the others into fighting alongside them?" Jeanne asked Velvet.

"Ivan and Cornelia possess a legendary orb they used to control their free will…The Orb of the Mind." Velvet answered. Lucy and Alicia gasped.

"You mean one of the two legendary orbs that is said to have the power to control the emotions and thoughts of every human in the world?!" Lucy cried.

"It is." Velvet nodded to Lucy. As everyone in the church fell silent, Darren and Alicia momentarily stare at each other before the latter look down at her sling bag which stores the Orb of the Heart.

"How did they manage to find such a dangerous artifact?" Judith asked Velvet.

"I don't know. But that is what makes everyone in the Abbey obey them against their will. And I would have continued to do so if it weren't for all of you. During our last fight, my head was knocked hard enough to snap my thoughts out from their control, and I was finally freed." Velvet explained.

"So you were never truly our enemy after all." Erza said, smiling at Velvet in relief.

"But even though I was brainwashed, that still won't excuse all the harm I've caused when I was a member of the Abbey." Velvet said as her eyes grew cold. She clenches her fists as she lowers her head in shame. "I'm truly sorry for what I've done."

"It's alright, Velvet. It was Ivan and Cornelia who are truly responsible for all the horrible things the Abbey has committed." Lucy said reassuringly.

"They are the ones who should pay for what they've done to you, and all the people they've captured!" Natsu yelled with rage as he holds up his clenched fist. Team Natsu and everyone else in the church nod their heads in agreement. Velvet bites down on her lower lip as she looks back at them. She wipes away her tears before nodding her head back to them.

"Thank you." Velvet murmured.

"I hope you all now know the true origin and objective of the Abbey." Mavis said to everyone as they all look back at her. "Ivan and Cornelia have the power to control people against their free will. They have since formed a large and loyal army with it, and they will continue to use them to invade and conquer all of Fiore. Eventually, they will invade Crocus and Era as well, and by then, all of Fiore is completely devastated. All of you must continue your journey to Mizuho, form a counterattack against the Abbey and destroy the Orb of the Mind."

"But how?" Velvet asked. "When I was in the Abbey, the superiors say that the Orb of the Mind is completely indestructible. No magic can ever destroy it."

"That is why when I was still in the afterlife, Zeref and I created a weapon to destroy it, and I bestowed it…upon him." Mavis lifts her finger up at Darren.

As everybody stare at him, Darren unsheathes his katana and holds it out to her. "This weapon to destroy the Orb…is this katana. Isn't it?"

"That's right." Mavis nods her head to him.

Darren glances at his reflection on the blade of his katana before looking back at Mavis. "But why me?" He asked. "Why of all people, you chose me to wield this weapon?"

"He does have a point, First Master." Erza said to Mavis. "You could have chosen someone else who is already skilled and powerful in magic and swordsmanship."

"That's true." Mavis replied to Erza before walking slowly towards Darren. "Darren Leong may not be the most powerful…the most skillful…or even the most intelligent…he's not even a mage and a resident of this world…" As Mavis now stands only a foot away from Darren, she looks up at him with a wide smile on her face. "But he still possesses something that makes him a truly special person…courage."

"Courage?" Darren asked in confusion.

"Darren Leong, of all the people who were transported into our world, you have the most courageous heart of them all." Mavis said.

Darren's lips curved to a frown. "How exactly am I courageous? I've made so many mistakes back in my world. Mistakes that cost me my friend, and my father." He asked dishearteningly.

"But unlike most people, you choose to endure and fight through your times of darkness." Mavis replied. "You still remain strong in spirit, and choose to live with the pain and grief. That is what makes you stand out more than any other person who is transported into our world. Please, Darren Leong…" Darren widens his eyes in awe as Mavis bows her head down to him. "Please accept my request to destroy the Orb of the Mind…stop the Abbey…and save our world."

Darren turns his head to the members of Team Natsu who all grin and smile at him.

"You can do it, Darren." Lucy said encouragingly.

"Aye. And you still got us, so you will never fight alone." Natsu added as he jabs a thumb at himself.

Darren now turns to Sheena, Yuri and the members of Brave Vesperia who all smile and nod their heads.

"We'll be by your side to the end." Alicia said to him.

"Let's work together and save our world." Yuri said as he winks an eye at Darren.

"You can count on us!" Karol proclaimed with a wide grin.

Darren turned to Jeanne, Velvet, Jack and Laphicet who all smile at him as well.

"Please, save our world, Darren." Velvet said.

"Whatever happens, the creators are always watching you." Jeanne said as she clasps her hands together and bows her head to Darren.

Finally, Darren turns his head back to his front to see Noel giving a salute to him as she stood behind Mavis. "As your ally and a Rune Knight, I vow to fight alongside you to save all of Fiore." Noel said solemnly.

Darren looks back at Mavis and gazed at her for a few moments before he closes his eyelids and solemnly bows his head back to her.

"I'll gladly accept your request." He said.

"Good luck, Darren." Mavis smiled at him before looking back at everybody else. "And to all of you as well."

In response, everybody else in the church bow their heads to Mavis. The girl smiled warmly as she stares at every one of them.

* * *

The next morning, Darren, Team Natsu, Sheena, Yuri, Noel, Brave Vesperia and the people of Zinnia gathered outside the farmhouses to watch Velvet, Jack and Laphicet storing their supplies and equipment onto the back of a wagon that is graciously given to them and Jeanne by the mayor. After stroking her hand through the horse's mane, Jeanne walks past the wagon and over to Team Natsu and the others.

"Are you sure you and Velvet don't wish to come along with us?" Erza asked Jeanne. "We could use someone like the both of you to fight against the Abbey during our travels."

"I appreciate the offer, but while you guys are focused on your journey to Mizuho, who knows what other defenseless towns that the Abbey are planning to invade in the meantime?" Jeanne responded.

"I understand." Erza nods her head to Jeanne before extending out her hand to her. "Good luck, and safe travels."

"And may the creators aid your spirits as well." Jeanne replied as she shakes Erza's hand.

"Keep up the noblest of fights, Jeanne D' Arc." Alicia said to Jeanne with a warm smile.

"Never forget who you are, and what you are capable of." Darren added.

"I thank you both for believing in me." Jeanne said to Alicia and Darren with a blissful smile. The three gave each other a warm embrace before Jeanne turns around and waves goodbye to them, their friends and the townspeople. As the townspeople cheer, Team Natsu and the others wave back at Jeanne as she walks over to the front of the wagon and sat beside Velvet, who is holding onto the reins.

"Farewell, Maid of Zinnia. We pray you'll have a safe journey ahead of you!" The high priest calls out to Jeanne before he and the other priests bow their heads and clasp their hands together.

"Thank you! And may the creators give you strength to protect our town during my absence!" Jeanne replied as she waves her hand at them. She later lowers her arm and turns to Velvet. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." Velvet replied before she and Jeanne turn to Laphicet and Jack who both sat behind them at the back of the wagon. "Are you two ready?"

"Yes." Laphicet and Jack both said as they nod their heads. Velvet and Jeanne smile as they look back to the front and the former throws down the reins. The horse began to move and pull the wagon.

"Goodbye, Maid of Zinnia!" The town's mayor calls out to Jeanne as they rode off.

Team Natsu and the others continue watching Jeanne and her friends ride off into the distance for a few moments before turning their heads to each other.

"Alright everybody! Let's continue our journey to Mizuho!" Karol exclaimed as he pumps his fist into the air.

"AYE!" The others replied in unison as they raise their fists as well. Natsu, Gray, Erza, Darren, Yuri, Sheena, Judith, Happy and Carla proceed to carry the bags of the charcoal up from the ground while the townspeople move aside to allow them to walk their way out of town.

"Good luck, Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia." The mayor said to them.

"Thank you. Stay safe and take care of yourselves." Erza replied to the mayor as they begin to make their way back to their ship with the bags of charcoal.

* * *

Team Natsu and the others quietly walk through the forest after leaving the outskirts of town. As Lucy and Noel walk together at the very back of the large group, the former asked the Rune Knight as she came to a halt, "Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?" Noel responded as she stopped and turned to Lucy while the others continue making their way to the ship.

"Not you, Noel." Lucy said. "I want to ask the First Master."

Noel stares silently at Lucy for a moment before she closes her eyelids and lowers her head. A few more seconds later, Noel lifts up her head up and looks back at her. But when she spoke, her voice has completely changed.

"What is it, Lucy Heartfilia?" Mavis asked.

"Is there another reason why you bestow the katana upon Darren? Surely it's more than just he possess a huge amount of courage, right?" Lucy asked.

Noel's lips curved up to a smile as Mavis replied, "You're right. Darren does have a lot of courage to endure through his times of darkness. And it is because he shares one similarity with you and the rest of the guild. He never gives up."

Lucy chuckled in response. Soon after, Noel hangs her head and closes her eyes again. A few more seconds later, Noel gasped as her head jolts back up and her eyes snap open.

"W-w-what just happened?" Noel said incredulously before looking back at Lucy. "And why are you smiling, Lucy?"

Lucy snickered as she gave a pat on Noel's shoulder. "Come on. Let's keep up with the others." She said as she walks past her and rejoins the rest of the group.

"W-what, hey!" Noel whirled about and follows after Lucy. "Seriously, Lucy! What's going on?!"

* * *

Inside a meeting room, Alexei Dinoia and the tall man with red hair sat beside together on a round table, alongside eight praetors, five males and three females, who are all dressed in short blue capes, grey long-sleeved leather robes with yellow highlights and blue bands around the top of their long grey and yellow gloves, black pants, grey long legged boots, silver metallic sabatons, and grey metallic helms with long yellow feathers on the back of them.

The ten sat quietly inside the room until the door opened, revealing Mala Makra and two other figures. One of them is a dark red-eyed woman whose black hair is tied to a bun, wears red glasses and dressed in a long sleeved brown jacket with a red buttoned shirt underneath it, a black belt with a square silver buckle, brown skirt, long red stockings that goes up to her thighs and black high heel shoes.

The other is a tall man with spiked up black hair, black eyes, tanned skin, a large chin curtain with several lines of facial hair around his mouth shooting upwards in an odd pattern, and wears a golden armor with a long black cape with light purple fur, bearing the yellow Abbey symbol behind. Alexei and the others stood up from their chairs and salute to the woman and man in golden armor.

"Madam Corningston! General Dreyar!" Alexei greeted. Cornelia smirks as she adjusts her glasses and places her other hand on the right side of her hip.

"At ease." Ivan Dreyar responded as he holds up his hand. Alexei and the other praetors sat back down while Mala Makra heads over to one of the vacant seats. After Mala sat down, Ivan and Cornelia walk over to their own seats. The woman sat beside Mala while the General sat between her and Alexei.

Ivan placed his arms on the table and inquired, "Commandant Alexei, status report on Loegres."

"Unfortunately sir, Loegres is lost. The enemy has liberated the dam that we have perfectly secured for two months. We not only lost Captain Nullpudding and Lieutenant Eleanor Hume, but also fail to acquire the Orb of the Heart." Alexei said flatly.

"I wonder whose fault that is." Cornelia said as she and Ivan glare coldly at Mala. Mala flinched as he lowers his head in shame.

"Tell me, Mala Makra. Who were responsible for thwarting our mission to acquire the other legendary orb?" Ivan asked.

"It was the guild known as Fairy Tail, and two other magicless people named Darren and Alicia, General Dreyar." Mala replied as he looked back at Ivan. "Somehow, they managed to break into the city of Loegres and ruined everything we have worked so hard to accomplish."

"I heard from Eleanor that Fairy Tail is also responsible for fixing the barrier around Halure, and stopping our invasion of Hargeon Town before it even began." One of the female praetors in grey spoke up.

"Indeed, Cheria. And for the last two months, we have lost so many of our precious comrades. Crowe, Azrael, Hume, Nullpudding, and now more recently, Calares." A male praetor in grey said grimly as he stares at the two vacant seats between Cheria and Mala, which originally belonged to Eleanor and Nullpudding. "If we don't put an end to this accursed guild now, everything we stand for will soon be a lost cause."

"Do not lament now, Lieutenant Lhant." Ivan replied to the male praetor. "We may have lost many important allies, but the battle is far from over. The enemy might put us in a difficult position now," Ivan holds up his right hand and clenches it into a tight fist. "But I say this is the perfect opportunity to show how we can frustrate them."

"Yes, General." Lhant bows his head to him. "I apologized for my earlier remarks."

Ivan places his fist down on the table and said icily, "If Fairy Tail and their allies think they can go around and meddle into our business, I believe it is time for us to deliver them the consequences for their actions."

"But how are we going to find them?" Another male praetor in grey asked as he folds his arms and leans back on his chair.

"Think, Lieutenant fon Fabre. Mala first encountered Fairy Tail at the outskirts of Underwood while trying to retrieve one of the magicless people over there." Ivan said. "After that, they were reported to be in Halure, Hargeon, Loegres, and now Zinnia."

"The latter two are located alongside the Spiegel River." Another female praetor in grey said as she waves her hand in the air and magically brought up the map of Fiore. "It appears they have since travelled from the east of Fiore to the southwest region."

"So it seems that they are leaving some sort of trail." fon Fabre said as he watched the female praetor uses her finger to draw out a trail from Underwood to every city that Team Natsu and their friends have visited on the map. "Where do you think their next location will be after Zinnia, Tear?"

"They appear to be travelling northwards along the river, so it would seem that the next settlement that they are heading towards after Zinnia..." Tear finished the trail by drawing a line from Zinnia to the next city above it and alongside the Spiegel River. "Mizuho."

"Mizuho? Why are they going there? That civilization has been isolated from the rest of Fiore for generations." Cheria said as Tear swipes her hand through the air to put away her map.

"Unless, they plan to enlist the Mizuhans to aid them in their battle against us?" Lhant implied.

"Then we can't let that happen. Enemy reinforcements will further prolong us from accomplishing our goals." Alexei said sternly to Lhant before turning to Ivan. "General, I suggest we sent Tal to deal with these annoying pests." As Alexei gestures to the tall red-haired man beside him, Tal adjusts his cap and silently nods his head to Ivan.

"Very well." Ivan nodded to Alexei before turning to Tal. "Captain Tal Olsen, take Mala Makra with you to deal with Fairy Tail."

"Mala Makra?! Why?!" fon Fabre cried in annoyance as he sat up and places his arms on the table. "He had just failed his last mission in retrieving the Orb of the Mind!"

"Because he is a more valuable asset to us than you think, fon Fabre dear." Cornelia answered with a smirk as she holds up her hand. fon Fabre grumbles under his breath as he turns his head away. Cornelia turns to Mala and said to him with a malevolent smirk, "I hope this time, you can eliminate the enemy with the new 'enhancements' that I have given you. Or else…" She licks her lips as she adjusts her glasses. Mala flinched before he and Tal stood up from their seats.

"We are ready to join the fight, General Dreyar." Mala said to Ivan as he and Tal salute to him.

"Destroy Fairy Tail and their allies once and for all." Ivan responded icily. Mala and Tal turn to each other and nod their heads.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey, Ushindeshi, grassfire101, Wolfstars11 and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for reviewing, favoriting, following and checking out my story. Thanks guys! It feels great to be back.**


	24. Fight at Spiegel River

_**Fight at Spiegel River**_

Team Natsu and the others continue their journey to Mizuho by sailing along the Spiegel River on their ship. As both Emmanuel and Noel stood above the quarterdeck, the former controls the helm while Noel holds a map in front of her and instructs him where to go.

Meanwhile, inside the ship's sleeping quarters which are filled with several double decker beds, Sheena is happily conversing with Wendy, Gray, Erza and Estelle as they sat together at the lower level of the beds. Yuri and Karol are talking to each other inside the engine room, shoveling charcoals into the engines every once in the while to make sure the ship keeps on running.

On the deck of the ship, Happy, Carla, Judith and Alicia are standing together behind the railings of the port. And while Judith and the exceeds are staring out the river, Alicia however kept her head down, dwelling on her thoughts as she placed her arms on the railing. Finally, Natsu and Lucy are sharing their stories to Darren, who attentively listened to them as he leans against the ship's main mast.

"And so after I defeated the King of Edolas, Mystogan carries out his plan to drain all magic away from Edolas and transport them to Earth Land, which will bring us, our guild and the exceeds back to our world in the process." Natsu said.

"What happen to Mystogan afterwards?" Darren asked.

"I learnt from an exceed that Mystogan wanted to paint himself as the villain and have Panther Lily kill him for removing all magic from his own world. But Mystogan is a friend of ours, so I ain't gonna let him die by having me play the role of the villain instead. I pretended to be the Great Demon Lord Dragneel who takes away all the magic from Edolas so that Mystogan can be viewed as a hero to the public. Of course, I pretended to lose the fight to him." Natsu explained with a cheerful grin on his face. "Afterwards, we were all transported back to Earth Land and we bid farewell to our counterparts before the bridge between our worlds is gone forever."

"Do you ever wonder how the people of Edolas are doing right now?" Darren asked.

"Every now and then, we do." Lucy replied with her eyes softened.

"Yeah, I wonder how my counterpart is doing too. I really want to know if he had at least toughened up since then." Natsu said as he scratches the tip of his nose.

"Sometimes I thought about how the world is doing now without magic." Lucy said.

"Meh, I'm sure they are fine." Darren shrugged with a smirk on his face. "They still have machinery over there after all. And if my world can survive without even needing to magically summon things for our basic needs, I'm sure Edolas can too."

Lucy laughed in response. "Yeah, that's true."

"They may now have to do everything by hand, but yeah, I guess you're right." Natsu smiled at Darren.

"Anyways, your story is really fascinating. To think you guys are able to go so far as to travel another world to get back everyone who is dear to you." Darren said.

"Nothing is more important than friendship and family after all." Lucy said.

"Yeah." Darren elicited a heavy sigh as his lips flip into a frown. "If only I've learnt that sooner."

"Hey, why don't you try talking to Wahid again when you do eventually get back to Earth?" Lucy suggested as she folds her arms.

"I alienated our relationship." Darren said dishearteningly. "He will never want to talk to me again."

"You'll never know unless you try." Lucy said softly before she lowers her head. "I never get along with my father after my mother passed. We never spoke to each other because he was so focused on his work since then. Eventually, I run away from home and join Fairy Tail. But when we return back to our guild from Tenrou Island after being trap inside Mavis's Fairy Sphere for seven years, I realized how much our friends who remain at HQ missed us. That's when I thought about how much my father must miss me as well. So I decided to pay him a visit. But when I arrived at his guild, I learnt that he passed away while I was gone. And after that, when I return back to my apartment, I also learnt that every year during my disappearance, he was sending letters and presents to me on my birthday, trying to reconcile with me and clinging onto hope that one day, I will be found. That is when I realize that despite everything that happened between us, he had always loved me. And since then, I always regret that we never got to see each other again before his death."

Darren remains quiet and stares at Lucy as the three simply stood there in a moment of silence. Eventually, Lucy looks back at Darren and gave a wan smile. "That is why I believe you should still try to make up with Wahid while you have the chance. You may think that he will never talk to you again after the incident, but I'm sure somewhere inside his heart, he still thinks about you."

"Let him know how much you want things between the both of you to go back to normal again." Natsu added. "Don't let the past discouraged you from doing so."

Feeling that their words have warmed his heart, Darren's lips curved up into a wide smile. "Yeah, I should go see him again. Thank you." Darren nods his head to them. Natsu and Lucy smile and nod back to Darren in response.

"You know, you two truly do make a great pair." Darren said as he slightly tilts his head to the side.

"Huh?" Natsu and Lucy both said incredulously before glancing at each other.

"Hey look." Natsu tried to protest as he and Lucy look back at Darren. "I think you mis-"

"Hi, sorry for interrupting but, can I say something?" Alicia interrupted as she walks over to them.

"W-what's wrong, Alicia?" Lucy asked as she and Natsu snap out of their thoughts. Shortly after stopping in front of them, Alicia removes her sling bag from her shoulder and holds it up in front of the three.

"I think we should destroy the Orb of Heart as well." Alicia said.

"Why?" Darren asked as he, Natsu and Lucy widen their eyes.

"We heard what Mavis said about the Orb of Mind. Cornelia is using it to control people's minds, erasing their free will and forcing them to become part of her personal army!" Alicia cried. "If they get hold of the Orb of Heart as well, they will be unstoppable." The three quietly contemplate for a few moments.

"Maybe…Alicia is right." Lucy said. "If we destroy the Orb of Heart now, Cornelia will never become twice as powerful as she is now."

"I object." Darren said firmly.

"What?" Alicia said incredulously as she, Lucy and Natsu stare at him.

"Cornelia may use the Orb of Mind against us when we encounter her. But we also have something to fight her back. If we use the Orb of Heart against her own Orb, we will have an advantage against her and the Abbey." Darren explained.

"Of course." Natsu uttered in realization. "I think Darren is right."

Alicia frowns at Darren in response. "But Darren-"

"Guys! This is bad!" Noel cried anxiously as she runs over to Darren, Alicia, Natsu and Lucy. "Emmanuel detected an enemy ship approaching our location!"

"What?!" Natsu yelled, briefly staring at Noel in shock before he, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Happy, Carla and Judith turn to the front of the ship. However, they couldn't find any ship approaching them in the distance.

"Where are they?" Darren asked as he grabs the hilt of his katana sheathed behind his back.

Suddenly, one large harpoon fly down from the sky and stabs through the floor at the ship's starboard, causing everyone on the deck to yelp and stumble. After everyone quickly regain their balance, Judith looks up and cried, "They're above us!"

The others lift their heads up and widen their eyes. Emerging from the clouds above is a large white Abbey ship that is hovering in the sky and above their own ship. The Abbey ship proceeds to launch another large harpoon, this time heading towards where Judith, Happy and Carla are positioned.

Judith wraps her arms around Happy and Carla and leaps out of the way just before the harpoon land right where they originally stood and pierce through the wooden floor. Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia and Noel stumble again before Erza, Sheena, Wendy, Gray, Estelle, Yuri and Karol come out from the ship's interior and enter the deck. Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia and Noel look back up at the Abbey ship and see several praetors sliding down the ropes of the harpoons by placing their swords, spears and gauntlets above them and clinging onto their weapons.

"Get ready to fight!" Erza commanded everyone as she quickly magically dresses herself up into her Sea Empress Armor and summons her Crystal Sword on her right hand.

As Gray and Lucy get into their battle stances, the former slams his left fist onto his right palm and creates a sword made of ice in his hands while the latter draws out her whip. Natsu and Wendy clench their fists and get into their fighting stances as well while Darren, Yuri, Judith, Estelle and Karol draw out their respective weapons and charge towards the praetors who had just landed on their ship.

The praetors roll over the floor before getting up with their weapons and clash against Darren, Yuri, Judith, Estelle and Karol. When a praetor swings his sword horizontally at her, Estelle quickly holds up her shield to block it and they both stay at a stalemate.

"You got to snap out of it!" Estelle yelled at the praetor as they push against each other. "This is not who you are! Your mind is being controlled!"

The praetor ignores her as he takes the opportunity to lift up his knee and kick her at the side of her torso. As Estelle backs away in pain, the praetor attempts to deliver an overhead strike on her with his sword. However, Natsu quickly runs over to him, jumps in the air and delivers a flying flaming kick to the side of his head. As the praetor collapses to the ground, Natsu lands back on his feet as the flames die down. He turns to Estelle who quickly recovers.

"Forget it Estelle. They won't listen to us unless we knock them right in their heads." Natsu said to her. Estelle nodded before the two run their separate ways and rejoin the fight against the praetors.

Gray swings his Ice Sword horizontally at a praetor. Although he blocks his attack with his sword, the impact sends him flying through the air and slamming against the ship's railing by the back of his head. Gray turns to his left and holds his left hand out at two spearmen who are running towards him.

"ICE MAKE: LANCE!" Gray shouted as a huge circle magically appears in front of his hand and fires multiple lances made of ice towards the spearmen. The spearmen yell as they get knocked down by the lances, which break into pieces as they hit their bodies.

A praetor armed with gauntlets swings his fists at Wendy who quickly evade his attacks by moving side to side. After ducking down to dodge another punch, Wendy slides her leg across the floor to sweep the praetor off of her feet. As the praetor trips over to the floor, Wendy jumps high into the air and generates huge amounts of wind as she holds her hands up.

"SKY DRAGON'S WING ATTACK!" Wendy shouted as she throws her arms down and creates a large whirlwind on each of them. She fires her attack on the fallen praetor, pinning her on the ground and knocking her unconscious.

One praetor manages to knock Yuri down by kicking him in the abdomen. As Yuri lies on the floor, the praetor goes over and tries to stab him with his spear. But suddenly, two yo-yos wrap around his arms from behind and pull him back, causing the praetor to drop his spear. Alicia gave another hard pull, sending the praetor flying over to her. She delivers a massive kick to the praetor's back as she releases her yo-yos around his arms. The praetor lands on the floor on his face and Erza knocks him out by stomping on the back of his helmet.

As Erza whirled about, another praetor armed with gauntlets runs over to her and delivers a series of punches at her. Erza backs away and blocks every punch the praetor delivers with her Crystal Sword. The praetor throws an uppercut, aiming for the bottom of Erza's chin. Erza bends back to dodge the punch. As she does, she throws her sword back which suddenly transforms into the Sea Empress Sword, a larger sword which its grip is made of scales and its blade is composed of water. As Erza leans forward to her enemy, she swings her Sea Empress Sword diagonally which fires a blast of water and sends the praetor flying through the air and knocking against another praetor who was fighting with Darren.

Darren and Erza briefly smile at each other before going over to their next opponent. One praetor tries to run over to Darren from the left, but he was suddenly taken out by a non-lethal round that was fired by Noel.

As four more praetors run over to the Rune Knight and try to surround her, Noel slowly turns around and fires her revolvers at them when they got near her. One praetor standing from a distance spots Noel and throws her spear at her. But Emmanuel quickly places himself in front of Noel and deflects the weapon with his metallic boomerang. He throws his boomerang through the air, flying in a curve and knocking down several praetors in the process.

When Darren sees five praetors surrounding Sheena and Karol, he runs over to the small group and easily takes out one of them by jumping in the air and kicking him at the back of his head. As the praetor collapses and Darren lands between Sheena and Karol, the remaining four praetors proceed to attack them. Karol quickly thrusts his hammer forward and hits one of the praetors in his abdomen. The praetor collapses on his knees and Karol swings his hammer horizontally at the side of his head to knock him out. Darren clashes his katana against a praetor's sword before he throws an uppercut to his abdomen and kicks him away. Two spearmen thrust their spears at Sheena who dodge them by jumping into the air. She performs a somersault before landing behind them. As the spearmen turn around, Sheena swiftly places her papers onto their faces.

"Back away!" Sheena warned Darren and Karol. The three of them leap away from the spearmen who struggle to pull the papers off of their faces. Sheena performs several quickly hand gestures before the papers illuminate in purple light and explode, knocking the two spearmen out into unconsciousness as they fall onto the floor. Darren and Karol smile and each gave a thumbs-up to Sheena, who smirks at them.

After tying her whip around his ankles, Lucy gave a hard pull and causes the praetor to fall onto the floor on his back. Lucy proceeds to drag him over to her and quickly stomps her boot onto his face to take him out. One praetor runs over to Lucy from behind and tries to stab her with his spear. But Natsu quickly goes over and stands between Lucy and the praetor. Natsu grabs onto the top of the spear tightly to stop the praetor's attack and he throws his right elbow down to break his weapon. After tossing away the top part of the spear, Natsu rushes over to the praetor and delivers two flaming punches across his face before picking him up and throwing him over to two other praetors standing nearby.

"Thanks Natsu." Lucy said gratefully as she goes over to him.

"I hope things don't get worse than that." Natsu said as he turns his head to Lucy.

"Look!" Gray shouted as he stood nearby them and points his finger up at the Abbey ship.

Everyone at the deck momentarily stop and look up to see Mala Makra sliding down the ropes of the harpoon with his double-bladed naginata above him. He is soon followed by Tal, who jumps onto the ropes and slides down to Noel's ship.

"Natsu, guess what?" Darren deadpanned to him. "It does get worse."

Natsu sighs heavily and slouches over. "Drats."

Alicia, Wendy, Yuri and Estelle get into their fighting stances as Mala Makra and Tal land in front of them.

"Hello again, Mala." Alicia said with her eyes narrowed. "And I see you brought a new friend."

Mala rose up and splits his double-bladed naginata into two before getting into position. "This time, I will finish what I started with you." He replied coldly. Tal remains silent and he adjusts his gloves and gets ready to fight as well.

Alicia and her friends made the first move. She and Yuri run over to Mala while Wendy and Estelle head towards Tal. While Wendy and Estelle are busy fighting with Tal, Alicia throws her yo-yos at Mala, who quickly deflects them with his swords. Yuri slides through the floor and swings his sword horizontally, aiming for Mala's abdomen. But Mala jumps into the air, performs a somersault and lands behind Alicia. Alicia whirls about to see Mala turning around and swinging his leg across her face, kicking her and sending her stumbling to side. Mala proceeds to swing one of his swords diagonally at Alicia, slashing her back and sending her falling to the floor.

"Alicia!" Everyone except Mala and Tal shouted in horror. Yuri roars angrily as he gets up from the floor and runs over to Mala. Darren yells in anger as well as he charges at Mala with his katana in his hand.

Mala first turns to Yuri who swings his sword diagonally downwards at him. Mala swings his left sword horizontally to deflect his sword, causing Yuri to stumble and turn around. Mala kicks him in the back, sending Yuri stumbling over to Tal who tries to bring his right fist down upon him. Yuri leaps away from Tal in time to dodge the punch and he lands between Wendy and Estelle. The three get into their battle stances and fight Tal together. Meanwhile, Mala quickly turns to Darren who swings his katana vertically downwards at him. Mala blocks it by holding up his right sword horizontally.

"We meet again." Mala said coldly to Darren before the two back away from each other. They both proceed to deliver multiple diagonal and horizontal swings of their swords at each other. They block every swing they throw at each other before the two finally clash their swords again and stay at a stalemate.

"This time, I will decapitate you and deliver your head to my superiors." Mala said icily as he and Darren push their swords against each other.

"Shut up!" Darren shouted in response before they back away and charge at each other again.

Meanwhile, Tal throws his right fist at Estelle who blocks it with her shield. Yuri goes over to Tal and swings his sword vertically at his right arm, leaving a huge cut on it. However, Tal didn't give any sort of reaction as he simply turns to Yuri with a solemn frown. Yuri stares at him in shock for a moment before Tal brings down his head and collides against Yuri's forehead like a sledgehammer. Yuri yells in pain as he finds himself stumbling backwards.

Estelle yells as she swings her golden rod diagonally at Tal's head. After receiving the blow from her rod, Tal turns back to Estelle and swings the back of his left fist across her face. Estelle cries in pain as she is sent flying through the air and crashing through the wall of the quarterdeck.

"Estelle!" Yuri and Wendy shouted in horror.

Wendy glares back at Tal and screams as she throws herself back and inflates her cheeks, "SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!"

A large tornado-like blast of wind blows out of Wendy's mouth and heads straight at Tal. Tal bends his knees and holds up his arms in front of his face to protect himself as he gets caught by the powerful blast of wind. After the blast dies down a few seconds later, Wendy collapses on her knees and looks up. To her shock, Tal remains where he stood. He stands up straight and lowers his arms as he frowns back at Wendy.

"Impossible…" Wendy murmured. Tal proceeds to charge at Wendy. Yuri places himself between him and Wendy and tries to protect the Sky Dragon Slayer by vertically swinging his sword upwards.

"AZURE EDGE!" Yuri shouted as he fires a blast of blue energy at Tal from his sword. The blast hits Tal, but it did little on him. The blue flames dissipate as Tal charges through the blast and the man continues running towards Yuri and Wendy. Yuri gasps for only a brief moment before Tal swings his right arm at him, punching him across his face with the back of his right fist which sends him rolling over the ground. When Tal got near Wendy, the man picks the girl up by pulling her hair. Wendy cries in pain as Tal suddenly comes to a screeching halt and swings his arm back. He throws his arm forward and tosses Wendy, sending the helpless Sky Dragon Slayer flying through the air, goes straight through the hole that Tal created earlier and crashing into the quarterdeck.

"WENDY!" Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Happy and Carla shouted in horror.

"DAMN YOU!" Natsu bellowed as he suddenly turns to Tal and runs over to him as his arms engulf in flames.

"I'll attend Estelle and Wendy! You guys deal with them!" Emmanuel said to Noel, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Judith, Karol and Sheena. The seven nod their heads and run after Natsu while Emmanuel makes his way to the quarterdeck.

"DESTRUCTIVE SLASH!" Mala shouted as he swings his swords horizontally and fires two gusts of wind at Darren which sends him flying through the air and slamming against the railing at the port side of the ship. Sheena runs over to Mala from behind and throws several papers into the air.

"Not this time." Mala said coldly as he noticed this over his shoulder. As he whirls about, he swiftly delivers several diagonal and horizontal swings with his swords, slashing the papers into pieces. Sheena jumps into air, performs a somersault and tries to deliver an overhead kick onto Mala's head. But Mala lifts his swords up to block her attack with its blades. Sheena does a backward somersault and lands on the ground just as Karol runs over and swings his hammer horizontally at Mala. Mala quickly cross his swords to block his attack. He pushes the hammer back with his swords, causing Karol to stumble backwards and falls to the floor on his back.

Sheena jumps into the air again and swings her right leg, kicking Mala across his face. Sheena quickly twirls around in midair and swings her right leg again to deliver another kick across his face. As Sheena lands back on the ground, Mala turns back to her and swings his left sword diagonally at her. Sheena moves to the side to dodge the attack and magically summons another piece of paper with a flick of her right hand. She leans forward and tries to plant the paper onto Mala. But Mala quickly took a step forward and jabs the bottom of the hilt of his left sword into Sheena's stomach. She gasps in pain as she bends over and drops her paper. Mala pulls his sword away and lifts up his left leg to deliver a massive kick to her face, sending her falling to the floor on her back.

As Mala turns back to his front, he sees Erza holding up her Sea Empress Sword as its blade grew longer and larger. After reaching its maximum limit, Erza yells as she vertically swings her sword down onto Mala. Mala quickly holds up and cross his swords again just as the watery blade of Erza's sword came crashing down upon him. When the water dies down and the blade of the Sea Empress Sword returns to normal, Mala slowly stands back up and lowers his swords. Darren and Karol go over to Erza's sides and the three get back into their battle stances.

"This time, none of you will get out of here alive." Mala said diabolically to them. Darren, Erza and Karol yell in unison as they charge towards Mala and they all prepare to fight again.

Meanwhile, Natsu delivers several flaming punches across Tal's face, causing the taller man to back away with every punch he receives. However, he still kept a stoic look on his face as he receives the punches from the Fire Dragon Slayer. Eventually, Natsu yells again as he pulls back his right fist and increases the amount of fire engulfed around it. He tries to deliver an uppercut to the bottom of Tal's chin when suddenly, the taller man swiftly grabs Natsu's wrist with his right hand.

Natsu yells in pain as Tal tightens his grip, causing the flames around his fists to quickly die down. Tal slowly lifts Natsu up in the air as the Fire Dragon Slayer helplessly struggles to break free from his grip.

Suddenly, Lucy throws her whip at Tal and wraps it around his right arm, causing him to drop Natsu. He nonchalantly turns his head to Lucy, who grits her teeth as she pulls back her whip to tighten her grip around his arm. However, Tal flexes his right bicep, dragging Lucy over to him, much to her shock. Tal uses his left hand to pull Lucy's whip again and drags her close enough to him. When she does, Tal lifts his right leg and kicks Lucy in her stomach. Lucy gasps in pain as she is sent sprawling through and rolling over the floor.

After tossing Lucy's whip away, a non-lethal round hits directly at the side of Tal's head. Tal turns to his right and sees Noel running over to him as she continuously fires her revolvers. Tal holds ups his arms in front of his face to prevent the bullets from hitting his eyes. Although the bullets hit his arms and body, Tal doesn't seem to feel any pain from them. Suddenly, when the firing stop, Judith goes over to Tal from behind and manages to wrap her spear around his neck. Judith grits her teeth and uses all of her strength as she pulls her spear back, trying to strangle Tal into submission. But Tal kept a stoic expression as he wraps his hands around Judith's spear. Suddenly, Tal releases his right hand and throws his right elbow back at Judith's stomach, causing the demihuman to gasp in pain. When she got near him, Noel fires her revolver at Tal's left hand. But Tal remains unfazed as he manages to lean forward and pulls Judith's spear out of her grip. Tal turns to Noel and throws the spear at her. As Noel moves to the side to dodge the weapon, Tal turns around and grabs Judith by her arm. As he turns to Noel, he tosses Judith over to her and the demihuman collides against her. The two women cry in pain as they collapse onto the floor.

Suddenly, Gray jumps up into the air and aims his large, long-barreled cannon made of ice at Tal.

"ICE MAKE: ICE CANNON!" Gray shouted before firing an ice cannonball at Tal. However, when the cannonball is near him, Tal swiftly lifts his right hand up and catches it as if it was a baseball. Not even the strong impact of its firing did anything to faze the tall man. Gray widens his eyes and drops his jaw in shock upon seeing this. Tal soon swings his right arm and throws the cannonball back at Gray. He yells as the cannonball hits him directly in his abdomen and explodes, sending him flying through the ai.

"Gray!" Happy cried as he flies over to Gray, who plummets through the air and heading towards the water below the ship. Luckily before he splashes into the water, Happy swoops down and wraps his tail around Gray's torso, carrying him and lifting him back up to the ship.

"This guy…is inhuman…" Gray managed to choke out.

Karol swings his hammer vertically at Mala, who blocks his weapon with his left sword. Darren goes over to Mala from the other side and swings his katana diagonally at him. Mala also quickly blocks his katana with his right sword and the three stayed at a stalemate. As Mala looks up to his front, he sees Erza charging towards him as she pulls back her Sea Empress Sword. With all of his strength, Mala manages to push Karol and Darren back and cross his swords together in front of him, just in time to block Erza's attack after she swings her Sea Empress sword horizontally at him. The impact sends Mala back, dragging his feet through the wooden floor. When Mala eventually came to a halt, he lowers his swords for a brief moment to see Erza charging towards him again. Erza delivers several diagonal strikes with her Sea Empress Sword at Mala who manages to keep up with her and block all of her attacks.

Mala quickly reconnects his swords to form his double-bladed naginata and he twirls it around in incredible speed.

"DESTRUCTIVE CIRCULAR SLASH!" Mala shouted as he pulls his twirling double-bladed naginata back for a brief moment before swinging it diagonally at Erza, creating a large circular blast of wind. Erza holds up her Sea Empress Sword in front of her to block the attack. But the gust of wind kept spinning and cutting through the watery blade of her sword. Erza widens her eyes and gasped in horror for a moment before the blast finally cuts through the blade of her sword and collides against her. Erza screams in pain as she is sent flying through the air, slamming onto the ship's main mast on her back. Erza groans as she slides down and lands back on the floor, sitting down like a rag doll with her head slumped to the side and her arms lying limply at her sides.

Darren and Karol runs over to Mala with their weapons, but Mala swings his double-bladed naginata horizontally at them, firing a large curved gust of wind at them which sends both boys sprawling through the floor.

Darren tries to get back up, but Mala swiftly charges over to him and swings the back of his left fist across his face. Darren turns around and falls back onto the floor on his face. Mala swiftly stabs his double-bladed naginata on the back of Darren's right shoulder, causing him to yell in pain.

"You have been a nuisance to me for the last time." Mala said coldly before removing his naginata and aims its blade above the back of Darren's head. "It's time for you to die."

"STOP!" Alicia suddenly yells as she throws her yo-yos and wraps them around Mala's weapon. Alicia gave a hard pull to remove the weapon out of Mala's grip. As Alicia catches the naginata in her left hand, she said flatly to Mala with her eyes narrowed, "Stay away from him."

Mala snorted in response. "You think I'm helpless without my weapon?"

Suddenly, Mala swiftly charges over to Alicia. Before she even has time to react, Mala proceeds to deliver four punches across both sides of her face before he finishes it with an uppercut to the bottom of her chin. This causes Alicia to fall onto the floor on her back and dropping her yo-yos and the naginata in the process. Mala walks over to Alicia's side, casually picks up his naginata and removes her yo-yos wrapped around it.

"Because of you, I failed my last mission, and I suffered the consequences for it." Mala said to Alicia as he looks down at her. "But now, I have finally turned the tables…and I can finally have my revenge."

Mala holds up his naginata and prepares to stab Alicia with its lower blade, causing Darren to hold out his hand and yell in horror, "NOOOOOOOO!"

Alicia grits her teeth and closes her eyes as she grabs her sling bag and holds it above her chest as a last resort to protect herself from Mala. But as she does so, the cover of the bag is pulled back as the Orb of Heart slightly comes out from it. As the sunlight shines onto the Orb, Mala gasps in horror as he suddenly froze in place.

Alicia snaps her eyes open a few seconds later when she realized she is still alive. She looks down to see the Orb of Heart poking out of her bag. She looks up at Mala to see him dropping his naginata and placing his hand onto the area of his chest where his heart is located. Alicia widens her eyes before backing away from Mala and removing the Orb of Heart from her bag.

"Is this stopping you?" Alicia asked as she holds up the Orb to Mala. Mala however could only respond by taking a step back while gagging uncontrollably. While Mala is distracted, Darren finally gets up from the floor despite the injury on the back of his shoulder. With the katana in his hand, Darren yells as he charges over to Mala from behind and swings his katana down diagonally. Mala yells in pain as he felt his back being slashed. After the praetor collapses on his knees, Darren rushes over to Alicia while Tal turns his head to them and widens his eyes, which is the most amount of emotion he had ever given in a long time.

Natsu, who finally recovers, gets up from the floor and throws himself back as he enlarges his cheeks.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu bellowed as he places his fists in front of his mouth and blows out a huge blast of fire at Tal. The blast manages to send Tal flying through the air for a while before he finds himself rolling over the floor.

"Alicia! Are you okay?" Darren asked as he carefully gets Alicia up from the floor.

"Y-yeah." Alicia managed to reply while staring back at Mala dumbfounded. Darren glances at the Orb of Heart in her hand before looking back at Mala who is gagging and clenching onto his chest as he continues kneeling on the floor. Tal growls as he stares at Darren and Alicia for a moment. He quickly gets back up and leaps into the air.

Darren and Alicia both look up and see Tal pulling back his right fist, preparing to bring it down upon them. But Alicia quickly holds up the Orb of Heart in air, aiming at Tal's chest. Tal widens his eyes and slightly drops his jaw as he finds himself frozen.

"MOVE!" Darren shouted as he pushes Alicia out of the way before Tal landed right where they originally stood. However, his weight and the amount of power he had applied into his fist causes him to smash through the floor. The impact created several cracks across the floor, and soon after, it causes the ship the break itself apart.

Everyone present on the deck except Mala cry as they stumble and fall onto whatever is left of the ship's floor while the main mast collapses and lands on top of the quarterdeck.

"BRACE YOURSELVES!" Noel screamed to everyone around her. Natsu spots Lucy's whip on the floor and he quickly runs over to pick it up.

"Lucy!" Alicia cried as she and Darren go over to her.

"Darren! Alicia!" Lucy responded before the floor beneath their feet finally crumbles into pieces, causing the three to scream as they plummet through the air.

"GUYS!" Natsu shouted as he runs over to where they originally stood. He jumps off from the edge of the floor and dive into where they had fallen.

"Natsu!" Happy cried as he flies down and go after his friend.

"Wendy!" Carla cried as she flies over to Wendy, who emerges from the hole through the quarterdeck wall along with Estelle and Emmanuel.

"Carla!" Wendy replied before Carla wraps her tail around her body.

"Hang onto me!" Carla instructed Estelle and Emmanuel. The two obliged and cling onto her tail before the exceed begins to fly up and pulls all three humans up from the collapsing ship.

"ABANDON SHIP!" Erza shouted as she, Gray, Sheena, Karol, Judith, Yuri and Noel run their way over to the starboard.

"OH NO!"

As Sheena, Karol, Judith, Yuri and Noel had jump off from the ship, Erza and Gray come to a halt and turn around when they see the praetors they have fought before have regain their consciousness, but now find themselves falling into the water below as the ship crumbles and sink.

"HELP ME!" A female praetor screamed before the floor beneath her collapses and plummets into the water below.

"I CAN'T SWIM!" A male praetor cried as he slides down the floor along with several others.

Erza and Gray turn to each other and nod their heads. They turn around, run over to the starboard and jump off from the ship. As they fall, Gray slams his left fist onto his right palm and shouted, "ICE MAKE: BOAT!"

A huge lifeboat made of ice magically appears beneath Gray and Erza before it splashes onto the water. Gray and Erza go up to the right side of the lifeboat and the latter cries out to the others, "Hop on!"

As Sheena, Karol, Judith and Yuri swim over to the lifeboat, Noel looks up and dishearteningly watches her ship slowly sinking down into the depths of the river. When the ship is out of her sight shortly after, Noel lets out a heavy sigh before finally swimming over to the lifeboat.

After Yuri and Judith pull Noel up into the lifeboat, Gray creates an oar with his Ice-Make and uses it to steer and paddle the lifeboat over to the praetors who are trying to stay above the surface of the water and crying for help.

"HELP ME!" One praetor cried as he frantically swings his arms.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Another praetor screamed as she struggles to keep her head above the surface of the water.

When they reach the praetors, Gray places his oar aside and dives into the water to rescue as many praetors as he can. Erza and the others on the lifeboat help pull up any praetor from the water and get them inside the lifeboat.

"Come on!" Yuri shouted as he holds out his hand. A praetor grabs his hand tightly before Yuri pulls him up and into the lifeboat.

After getting a praetor into the lifeboat, Judith sets her down on the lifeboat. The praetor turns to the demihuman and said softly, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Judith replied to her with a warm smile.

Gray swims back to the lifeboat after managing to rescue three praetors who all wrap their arms around his neck and back. Erza helps pull the praetors up into the lifeboat just as Carla arrive and place Wendy, Estelle and Emmanuel onto the lifeboat.

"Lieutenant, you're alright!" Emmanuel said to Noel in relief as the blonde-haired Rune Knight sets another praetor down on the lifeboat.

"I'm glad you are too." Noel smiled at Emmanuel for a brief moment before her face distorts into a sad frown.

Emmanuel sighs sadly and said to his superior, "I can't believe we lost our ship."

"But at least we are all still alive." Noel replied to him. "That's what matters."

After looking around their surroundings in concern, Wendy turns to Erza and Gray, who just climb back up into the lifeboat.

"Erza! Gray! Where are Natsu and Lucy?" Wendy asked worriedly. Erza and Gray look around and widen their eyes.

"Happy, Darren and Alicia are nowhere to be found either!" Gray cried.

Erza turns around and shouted in horror, "NATSU! LUCY! DARREN! ALICIA! HAPPY!"

* * *

"Darren? Are you okay?" Natsu asked in concern.

Darren moans as he groggily opens his eyes. When his vision became clearer, he sees Natsu, Happy, Lucy and Alicia kneeling above him as he lies down on the ground.

"Guys?" Darren managed to choke out. The four sigh in relief before they stand up and the Fire Dragon Slayer extends his hand out to Darren. Darren grabs onto his hand and Natsu pulls him up.

After Darren gets himself up on his feet, Lucy holds out his katana to him. Darren grabs the hilt and sheathes his katana back into the scabbard on his back.

"Do you guys still have your weapons?" Darren asked Alicia and Lucy.

"Yeah, Natsu recover my whip for me." Lucy replied as she gestures to her coiled whip stored on her belt.

"And Happy even found my yo-yos for me." Alicia said as she pats on her sling bag. "Even the Orb of Heart is still safe with me."

"That's good." Darren nods his head to the two girls before he examines his surroundings. He realized that he and the others are currently standing on a stretch of coast with little sand, located at the side of the large river. "Where are Erza and the others?"

"We couldn't find them." Natsu replied grimly before Darren turns around. The small group of five widens their eyes in awe as they see the large forest before them.

Lucy takes a gulp and said, "I think the more important question is…Where are we?"

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	25. Bonds, Part 1

_**Bonds, Part 1**_

After helping to apply bandages onto Darren's right shoulder and Alicia's back, Virgo backs away and bows solemnly to them, Natsu, Lucy and Happy.

"It is done." Virgo replied.

"Thank you, Virgo." Lucy said as she and her friends bow back to her. She holds up her key and Virgo glows white as she returns back into the Celestial Spirit World. Afterwards, Lucy puts away her key and she and her friends look back at the forest in front of them.

"Well, I guess we have no choice but to make our way through this forest." Natsu said.

"Hopefully, we'll find some way to contact the others." Darren added.

"Thankfully, we have an expert in nature to guide the way." Lucy said smiling as she places her hand on Alicia's shoulder.

"You can count on me. But I'll also need Happy to look out for us from above the forest." Alicia said before turning her head to Happy.

"Aye aye, sir!" Happy responded while giving Alicia a salute, but he quickly shook his head and corrects himself. "I mean, captain! I mean, your Majesty! I mean-"

Alicia groans and rolls her eyes back as she points her finger skyward. "Just fly up there."

"Okay!" Happy replied as he looks up and flies into the sky.

"Let's go." Alicia said as she walks the others and enters the forest. Natsu, Lucy and Darren follow her from behind shortly after.

* * *

For the next eighty minutes, Alicia, Natsu, Lucy and Darren continue walking their way through the large forest filled with densely-planted overgrown trees. As they travel deeper into the forest; the trees and terrain around them look bigger and taller, thus making it seem that the distance between the boundaries of the forest and their current location continue to grow greater. Every now and then, Happy would fly back down to their level and report on their current whereabouts. But so far, it seems that there is no end in sight.

When Happy flies back down to the four for the eighth time, Alicia inquired the exceed, "Have you seen the boundaries yet?"

"Let me guess…not yet?" Natsu asked wearily.

"Yup! You're right!" Happy said to his friend ecstatically.

"That's not something to be cheerful about!" Lucy shouted exasperatedly at Happy.

Alicia sighs heavily before saying to Happy, "Thanks. Continue to keep watch."

"Aye!" Happy replied before flying back up above the forest. Suddenly, Darren's stomach rumbled, causing Natsu, Lucy and Alicia to turn their heads to him.

"Seriously? Of all times?" Alicia asked Darren in annoyance.

"But I thought we had breakfast an hour ago?" Lucy said.

"I only had eggs for breakfast and nothing else." Darren replied.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"Hey! Don't blame me! Erza kept suggesting me that it's best for a fighter to eat less every day, and now her advice is stuck inside my head!" Darren yelled irritably.

"Ugh! This really sucks!" Natsu cried in frustration as he grabs the sides of his head and throws himself back. "Once again, we don't have Wendy and Estelle by our side to heal our wounds!"

"None of us has a lacrima with us." Lucy added miserably.

"And I'm going to starve and dehydrate all day." Darren groaned as he tilts his head to the side and rubs his stomach.

"But at least this forest sure is filled with these pretty flowers." Alicia smiled as she points her finger at some large-sized flowers growing out from the trunk of a strangler fig tree. Natsu, Lucy and Darren stare back in confusion, causing Alicia to look back at them with an arched eyebrow. "What? At least I'm trying to lighten our spirits."

"Well, I do admit these flowers look very nice. I think they even look as big as the Rafflesia." Darren said as he places his hands on his hips and examines the flowers on the tree beside Alicia. The flowers are huge and look four times the size of a human head. They either have blue or purple large petals with yellow outlines along their edges, as well as having wide circular yellow disk florets in the center, making them greatly resemble sunflowers.

"These flowers sure are everywhere in this forest." Lucy commented as she and Natsu look around to see more trees having the same flowers growing out from their trunks and branches.

"They sure look beautiful, but I wonder how a couple is going to give these flowers to each other on their dates." Natsu laughed at his own joke, but his comment made Lucy blushed as she thought about her relationship with him again.

"I wish I can stay here forever." Alicia murmured blissfully as she looks around their surroundings.

"WHAT?!" Natsu and Lucy both yelled furiously at her.

"I mean, as much as I want to stay here and look at these pretty flowers, it's still best for us to return back to civilization." Alicia said hastily as she holds up her hands defensively.

"When am I finally going to take a shower?!"

"I told you for the umpteenth time. Eventually!"

"How long is eventually?!"

As the two voices continue arguing with each other in the distance, Natsu, Lucy, Alicia and Darren widen their eyes upon hearing them.

"Are those voices I hear?" Darren said, perked up.

"And did she say…Sting?" Lucy uttered. She and Natsu soon gasped loudly as they turn to each other with their eyes nearly bugging out from their sockets.

"Sting Eucliffe?!" Lucy and Natsu both said in unison.

"Who?" Alicia asked, confused. But Lucy and Natsu ignored her as they quickly run after the direction of the voice.

"Hey, wait up!" Darren cried as he and Alicia hastily follow after them. The four soon rush over to some large bushes. As they kneel behind them, they slowly poke their heads out and see four people. Three of them are girls sitting down together on a large mat while one of them is a boy standing a few meters away from them. The boy has spiky blonde hair, dark blue eyes, a white guild tattoo on his left shoulder and a small, thin, diagonal scar above his right eyebrow. He wears a metal earring on his left earlobe, a sleeveless blue fur vest, a light gray top that only covers the upper section of his torso, leaving his abdomen bare, long dark blue gloves, white pants and long black boots that go up to his thighs.

"Come on Amelia. I know you now stink in those clothes, but can't you just tolerate a little longer?" The boy asked reasonably to one of the girls sitting on the mat while folding his arms. The girl he is talking to has long chocolate brown hair, tied to a long braid that goes all the way down to the back of her waist and wears glasses in front of her blue eyes, a sleeveless light gray school vest with a white collar shirt underneath it, a light blue tie around its collar, blue skirt, white stockings and white school shoes.

"Well if you really are the master of your guild as you claim, we would have already been outta this bloody forest 24 hours ago!" Amelia yelled exasperatedly as she slams her right hand on the mat.

"P-Please Amelia, c-calm down." One of the girls who are idly watching them pleaded to Amelia timidly. She is a short girl with messy shoulder-length white hair, red eyes and wears orange Chinese robes and sleeves with yellow highlights, light green pants and red and yellow Chinese shoes. "S-Sting is just trying h-his best-"

"Trying his best?!" Amelia snapped at the girl, causing her to flinch. "Mei Li, he should already be at his best if he is the master of a guild! Heck, I think you're a better helper than he ever is right now!"

"Amelia-sama, if you keep yelling like that, not only are you going to attract the Abbey's attention, but also perspire yourself even more." The third and last girl sitting on the mat said calmly to Amelia. She has short, light blue hair, brown eyes and wears a blue rose ornament on the left side of her head, a white cape that drapes over her shoulders, a sleeveless white dress, a white skirt, white stockings and white boots.

"Shut it, Yukino! And stop calling me sama, will ya?!" Amelia barked at the light blue haired girl, who just stared blankly back at her. While the irate girl is shouting at his guildmate, Sting turns his head to the bushes and his teeth breaks out into a huge grin.

"Hey, Natsu! Lucy! Is that you?!" Sting cried in both joy and surprise.

"Sting!" Natsu shouted happily as he, Lucy, Alicia and Darren stand up from behind the bushes.

"Yukino!" Lucy cried ecstatically to the light blue haired girl.

"Natsu-sama! Lucy-sama!" Yukino greeted Natsu and Lucy with a wide smile.

"Huh?" Amelia said as she and Mei Li stare at the four in confusion.

"Don't worry guys. These two are friends of ours." Lucy said to Darren and Alicia as Natsu step out from the bushes and walks over to Sting. When the two Dragon Slayers are near each other, Natsu and Sting hold up their arms and clasp onto each other's hands.

"Long time no see, White Dragon Slayer! What brings you to this part of Fiore?" Natsu asked with a wide grin.

"Just like all the other guilds in Fiore, Sabretooth is assigned by the Magic Council to find magicless people who have mysteriously appeared in our world." Sting explained with a smirk before turning to the three girls sitting on the mat. "Yukino and I managed to find these two who have been surviving out in this forest for the last two months."

"It was a nightmare!" Amelia shrieked with her eyes and hands shaking.

"Where is your friend Rogue?" Lucy asked as she, Alicia and Darren approached Sting and Yukino, who slowly stands up from the mat.

"And where is Lector?" Happy asked as he flies down to them. Amelia and Mei Li widen their eyes in awe as they see him.

"Is that a talking cat with wings?!" Amelia cried flabbergasted.

"He's cute…" Mei Li whispered as her cheeks blushed and her lips curved up to a small smile.

"See! I told you exceeds do exist!" Sting cried to the two girls. Amelia grabs Mei Li's left hand and straightens it before she bends over and places it above her head.

"Go ahead, Mei Li. Hit me as hard as you can." Amelia said while Mei Li stares back at her in confusion.

Yukino sighs at Amelia before she turns to Lucy and explained, "Rogue and Minerva are working together and searching for magicless people at the northwest side of Fiore, while Lector and Frosch are back in our HQ. How have you been, Lucy-sama?"

"If I say we went through a lot of trouble with the Abbey for the last two months, will that surprise you?" Lucy asked flatly. Yukino chuckled in response.

"Who are these two?" Sting asked Natsu and Lucy as he stares at Darren and Alicia.

"Oh they are Darren Leong and Alicia Ribery, two magicless people that we came across." Natsu said as he and Sting release their hands and lower their arms. Mei Li and Amelia gasped.

"Magicless people? You mean two other people from our world?" Amelia said. Mei Li smiled in relief as small tears of joy form in her eyes.

"We are not alone after all." Mei Li uttered and wipes away her tears. She stands up and shyly bows down to Alicia. "N-Nice to meet you, Alicia. I-I'm Wang Mei Li."

"Likewise, Mei Li. Where are you from?" Alicia asked with a warm smile.

"China." Mei Li replied softly as she stands back up straight.

"China! What a lovely country!" Alicia said enthusiastically, causing Mei Li to blush and shake nervously. "I'm from New Zealand." She gestures her to Darren. "Darren here is from Singapore."

"Ni hao, Mei Li." Darren greeted Mei Li, smiling as he waves his hand at her.

"N-Ni hao!" Mei Li responded nervously as she gave a quick bow of her head to him.

"Nice to meet you, Darren and Alicia. I'm Sting Eucliffe." Sting said as he extends his hand to them.

"And I'm Yukino Agria." Yukino said, bowing to them.

"Nice to meet you both." Darren replied as he shakes hands with Sting and Yukino. Alicia also shook hands with them before walking over to Amelia.

"Hi, I'm Alicia Ribery. What's your name?" Alicia asked Amelia politely as she extends her hand to her. Amelia gets up and brushes off whatever dirt is there on her thighs.

"Amelia Greenleaf." Amelia replied flatly as she shakes Alicia's hand. After she lets go, Alicia chuckled nervously as she wipes her hand onto her shorts to brush off the dirt.

"Judging by the accent, you must be from Australia." Alicia said, smiling back at Amelia.

"Spot on there." Amelia shrugged.

"Well then, nice to meet you, neighbor!" Alicia said cheerfully as she wraps an arm around her, causing Amelia to groan and roll her eyes.

"Sting, Yukino, we are wondering if you have a lacrima or a map with you to help us get out of this forest. Do you?" Natsu asked.

"Unfortunately, our lacrima got busted during our last encounter with the Abbey while we were protecting these two." Sting said grimly, causing Natsu and Lucy to sigh dishearteningly. However, his frown quickly turns into a wide grin as he gave a thumbs-up to them. "But Yukino and I still got a map!"

"Ta-dah!" Yukino cheered as she shows them a map of Fiore.

"ALRIGHT!" Natsu, Lucy and Happy all whooped excitedly as they throw their arms into the air. Afterwards, Natsu and Happy proceed to dance happily by pumping their fists and lifting their legs up and down.

"We got a map! We got a map! We got a map! To get out of here!" Natsu and Happy sang as they do so. Sting, Yukino, Lucy, Darren, Alicia and Mei Li chuckle as they watch them celebrate while Amelia groans again as she lowers her head and plants a hand on her face.

"Oh great! Like my life isn't enough of an endless torture when I now have to deal with these idiots who are acting like they are off their chops!" Amelia said morosely. When she lifts her head back up, she shouts at Natsu and Happy, "THAT'S ENOUGH OUTTA YOU TWO! STOP ACTING LIKE YOU'RE HIGH ON PINGAZ!" She gestures to Sting and Yukino. "And even if we have a map, these two muppets still couldn't find their way around this place for days!"

"It's probably a big forest, Amelia. I remember back in our world, there are forests that can take more than a day to travel through and out." Alicia said to Amelia, who pouts at her as she adjusts her glasses.

"She's right." Yukino said as she turns the map around and looks down on it. Lucy goes over to her side to take a closer look as well. "According to the map, it seems we are in the largest forest in all of Fiore, the West Forest. Sting and I originally came from the town of Petunia, located two miles west from the forest. That was where the Magic Council got their reports that two portals have mysteriously appeared above this area. So we just need to keep travelling west until we're finally out here."

"But the problem is, we have been doing so for the last two days, and yet we still can't find our way out of here." Sting said.

"Let me take a look at that." Alicia said to Yukino and Lucy as she extends out her hand to them. Yukino hands the map over to Alicia and she looks at it. She spotted the town of Zinnia on the map before placing her finger on the Spiegel River.

"Ever since we left Zinnia yesterday, we have been travelling north through the Spiegel River." Alicia said as she slides her finger upwards through the river until she spotted a small stretch of land just outside a forest on the map. She taps her finger on the small piece of land as she continued, "We arrived here at this side of the river, and we kept travelling straight from there ever since. So we have been travelling west." Alicia slightly turns her head to her left and spotted the location of Petunia. "The town of Petunia which Yukino and Sting mentioned is about 30 to 40 degrees left from this piece of land. So I say…" Alicia lifts her head up and lowers her map as she points her finger up. "We travel northeast!"

"Way a go, Alicia!" Lucy said cheerfully as she gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"You're the best!" Happy added.

"Righto!" Amelia exclaimed as she walks past the others and towards the direction Alicia is pointing at. "If that's the way outta this bush, then let's get outta here before the mozzies come out. Move!"

As Amelia kept walking, Alicia folds the map and hands it back to Yukino. "What's her issue?" Alicia asked Yukino.

"She's been like that ever since we found her." Yukino replied as she takes back her map and puts it away.

"Actually, she has always been like that ever since we first met each other." Mei Li said after wrapping up her mat.

"What's a mozzie?" Natsu asked in confusion.

"HURRY UP, YA KNOBS!" Amelia shouted from a distance as she kept walking.

"Coming! Don't get too far ahead of us now!" Alicia yelled back at her.

"WHATEVER!" Amelia responded as the others quickly catch up to her while Happy flies back up above the forest.

* * *

As they continue travelling, Alicia, who is again ahead of the large group, escorts everyone through the forest as Yukino, Lucy and Amelia follow closely behind her. Darren and Mei Li are conversing with each other as they, Natsu and Sting walk together at the back of the group. Although Mei Li is still feeling shy towards Darren, she tentatively listened to him as he explains to her what he has been doing with Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia for the last two months since he arrived to Earth Land.

"Wow. So for the past two months, this guild that Natsu and Lucy are in was training you to be a swordsman to fight against those knights in white?" Mei Li said softly in Darren in amazement.

"That's right." Darren said, nodding his head.

"Amazing." Mei Li replied with a wan smile. "B-back in China, I-I was a p-practitioner of…Taiji Quan."

"Taiji Quan? That's awesome!" Darren replied as his smile widens.

"Y-you know what that is?" Mei Li asked nervously as she cringed.

"Of course I do! I love playing as Chun-Li in Street Fighter back in our world." Darren said.

"I-I see." Mei Li responded, shyly shifting her eyes away from Darren.

"In fact, why not show some of your fighting moves to us?" Darren asked.

"Well…" Mei Li said as she grew more nervous.

"Yeah! Show it to us! I would love to see what this Tai Gee Choo-ang is!" Natsu said enthusiastically to Mei Li, causing her to flinch.

"It's 'Tai-Jee-Chu-an', Natsu." Darren corrected Natsu.

"Oh. I mean Tie Glee Choo Nan?" Natsu said in confusion.

"No, Natsu. It's Tie Chi Qoo Ang?" Sting said, arching an eyebrow.

Darren groans and said slowly to the two Dragon Slayers, "No, it's 'Tai-Jee-'"

"WILL YOU WANKERS JUST SHUT UP?!" Amelia shouted as she turns her head around to them. Darren, Natsu and Sting stare back at her in bewilderment while Mei Li whimpered and trembled at the sight of Amelia's fury. "I mean dear Lord! All I just want is some peace and quiet as we finally get outta this damn forest so I can take a damn shower!"

"Come on Amelia. They are just trying to get along." Alicia said to her.

"Are you going to argue or help us get outta here?!" Amelia snapped back at Alicia, who stays silent as she frowns back at her. "And don't go being useless on me now like that yellow haired dropkick over there!"

"This situation would have been easier if I could use my smell right now." Sting said as he places his hands behind his head. "But for some reason, I seem to have lost it as soon as Yukino and I set foot in here."

"Come to think of it, I realized that I can't use mine either right now." Natsu said as he rubs the bottom of his nose.

"What? It's like you just got your magic racked from you or something?!" Amelia asked, flustered.

"That's probable." Lucy said.

"Huh?" Amelia turns to Lucy.

"When Fairy Tail and I were in Edolas, we instantly lost our magic and we only regain them after taking some pills." Lucy explained.

"Are you saying this forest took away our magic?" Yukino said as everybody came to a halt. Suddenly, Natsu thrusts his fist into the air, causing Mei Li to quickly back away from the Fire Dragon Slayer. However, nothing happened and Natsu widens his eyes and gapes his mouth open in shock.

"I can't unleash my flames." Natsu said.

"Flames?" Mei Li said confused.

"Lucy is right! This forest does take away our magic!" Sting cried in horror.

"But if this forest takes away magic, then how can Happy still use his wings?" Darren said.

"Did somebody call me?" Happy asked as he flies back down to their level. Everybody glance at the exceed for a moment before Lucy takes out her key and holds it up in the air.

"I CALLED UPON THEE, OPENING THE GATE OF THE RAM!" Lucy shouted as she swings her key horizontally. "ARIES!"

A woman with long pink hair, a pair of twisted horns on her head and dressed in a white fluffy wool-like getup magically appears before everyone. Amelia drops her jaw as she stares at Aries dumbfounded while Mei Li gently places her hands on her cheeks.

"Hooley dooley." Amelia uttered as she adjusts her glasses. "That ain't something you see every day..."

"Beautiful." Mei Li murmured, staring at Aries in awe.

"What is it, Lucy?" Aries said timidly to Lucy.

Lucy sighs in relief as she holds up her key. "My Celestial Spirit key magic works perfectly fine."

"Then that means only Dragon Slayer magic is being taken away by this forest. But why?" Yukino asked.

"There they are!"

Everyone gasped as they turn their heads to their left to see four praetors running over to them. Mei Li widens her eyes in horror as she cowers behind Darren, who quickly draws out his katana and holds it in front of him.

"It's them!" Mei Li cried. "The knights in white!"

"Praetors!" Natsu snarled as he and Sting clench their fists and get into their fighting stances. Aries stood in front of Lucy and gets into a battle stance as well. Lucy and Yukino hold up their keys and Alicia gets out her yo-yos as the three prepare to fight as well. The four praetors stop for a moment to take a look at their enemies.

"There are four more of them now?" The shortest male praetor of the group cried in bewilderment.

"Why are they now increasing every day?!" Another male praetor yelled.

"It doesn't matter! We'll just do whatever it takes to get what we want!" The sole female praetor who stood in front of the small group barked as she draws out a sword from her scabbard. The other taller male praetors draw out their spears while the shortest male praetor holds up his gauntlets and clenches his fists. Suddenly, the female praetor points her sword at Natsu, Lucy and the others and screamed, "ATTACK!"

The other praetors yell as they charge towards them. Natsu, Sting, Darren, Alicia, Aries and Lucy also run towards them and begin their fight.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey and Ushindeshi for reviewing and chloemcg for favoriting my story! And also a very special thanks to Crimson-Tuna-Sub for helping me 'Australify' Amelia's dialogue. Thanks everyone!**

 **It's been a while, but it's good to return back to this story. This is also my first story update of 2020, so I hope all of my readers are having a good new year so far. Originally, I was going to include the fight between the praetors and our heroes in this chapter. But I felt the chapter had already gone on long enough and I decided to save the fight for the next chapter instead. Don't worry, the next chapter will be out very soon since I've wrote most of the fight already. Anyways, it's great for me to return back to writing in the start of the New Year! Stay tune for the next chapter and read and review!**

Chapter Revised on 1st April 2020


	26. Bonds, Part 2

_**Bonds, Part 2**_

When they are near each other, the female praetor swings her sword horizontally at Natsu. Natsu dodges her attack by sliding through the ground and pass by her. When Natsu gets up and turns around, the female praetor whirls about and delivers a diagonal strike at him. Natsu dodges by moving to the right and delivers several swinging punches at the praetor. The praetor quickly backs away to dodge every punch that Natsu tries to throw at her.

Meanwhile, Yukino, who remains where she is, swings her key horizontally as she shouted, "Open the gate of the Heavenly Scales! Libra!"

A woman whose black hair is tied to two horn-like buns and wears a long white cloth to conceal her mouth magically appears in front of Yukino as she kneels down on a knee. She also wears a green bikini with yellow stripes, a long green loincloth with yellow stripes, red dangles around her lower arms and lower legs and green sandals. Dangling from her hands, she also carries a pair of golden scales, with thin cords running from her fingertips to the sides of the scales. As the woman stood up, Yukino ordered her, "Libra! Use Gravity Change on them!"

"Right." Libra replied flatly as she swings the scale from her right hand. This causes the two taller male praetors to levitate from the ground for a brief moment before they find themselves being flown through the air and having their backs slam against the trunks of two nearby trees.

The shortest male praetor yells furiously as he and Darren run over to each other. He swings both of his gauntlets at Darren, who easily blocks them with his katana. The praetor jumps into the air, briefly swings his gauntlets up and brings them down to deliver an overhead strike on Darren. But Darren holds up his katana to block his attack again and quickly delivers a kick to the praetor's abdomen. The praetor groans as he is sent falling and sliding through the ground on his back. Alicia swings her yo-yos around his gauntlets and pulls the strings to tighten her grip around them. The praetor growls behind his helmet as he tries his best to pull his gauntlets back and free himself. As Alicia continues pulling the strings of her yo-yos, she turns her head around for a moment and sees Happy, Mei Li and Amelia hiding behind some bushes.

"How are you guys doing back there?" Alicia cried to them.

"I'm okay!" Happy responded as he holds up his paw.

"W-we're fine!" Mei Li replied timidly as she trembled.

"Likewise." Amelia muttered with a frustrated frown. Although she didn't want to admit it, she too is shaking uncontrollably in fear as she cowers behind the bushes with Mei Li.

Meanwhile, one of the taller male praetors, who recovered from his earlier blow from Libra, charges towards Lucy with his spear. Aries quickly places herself in front of Lucy and shouts as she holds up her hands, "Wool wall!"

A thick cloud of pink wool appears between Aries and the praetor just as he thrusts his spear. The praetor stares dumbfounded as the wall pushes back the tip of his spear, stopping his attack. Suddenly, the praetor could hear Aries shouting behind the wall of wool, "Wool bomb!"

When a huge circle opens in the centre of the wall, Aries shoots a massive amount of pink wool at the praetor and he finds himself flying through the air again.

"I'm so sorry! I just wanted to protect my mistress!" Aries cried apologetically as she bows her head to the praetor who lands back down on the ground with a hard thud.

Meanwhile, the female praetor and the other taller male praetor are busy with Natsu and Sting respectively. Natsu jumps into the air and delivers a flying kick at the female praetor. The female praetor holds up her sword to block his foot, but the impact of the blow sends her sliding back on her feet. The other male praetor thrusts his spear at Sting, who grabs his weapon and brings his elbow down to break it. The male praetor gasped in shock before Sting tosses away what is left of his spear and delivers a powerful punch to his face with his left fist, sending him sprawling through the ground and lying next to the other taller praetor.

"We may not have our magic, but we can still pack a punch!" Sting yelled with a huge grin.

The female praetor swings her sword several times at Natsu who dodges all of her attacks by backing away. After Natsu backs away from another swing of her sword, the female praetor turns her head to see the shortest male praetor falling onto the ground on his face after receiving a kick from Alicia.

"Hodaka!" The female praetor cried in horror.

"G-get them, Brenda!" The shorter male praetor responded weakly as he points his finger at Happy, Mei Li and Amelia who are hiding behind the bushes. The female praetor turns her head to them and growls.

"We will not fail this time." Brenda muttered as she runs towards the bushes. Natsu swings his left fist at Brenda, who dodges it by getting down on her knees and sliding through the ground. Natsu whirls about as she quickly gets back up from the ground.

"Hey! Stop her!" Natsu shouted as Brenda continues running for the bushes.

Alicia swings her yo-yos at Brenda. But Brenda jumps into the air and performs a somersault above the strings of the yo-yos to dodge her attack. As she lands back down on the ground, Darren runs over to her and swings his katana vertically at her. Brenda gets up and swings her sword diagonally to deflect his attack. As Darren backs away, Brenda thrusts her sword at his chest. Darren quickly dodges the attack by turning his body to his left, but Brenda takes the opportunity to turn to him and hits his chest with the bottom of the hilt of her sword. Darren groans before Brenda brings down her sword and knocks the top of his head with the bottom of her sword again. As Darren collapses on his knees and hands, Brenda turns back to the bushes and runs over to Happy, Mei Li and Amelia.

Yukino runs over to Brenda and jumps in the air to deliver a flying kick. But Brenda bends over down enough to dodge her kick. As Yukino lands back on the ground, she turns around and sees the praetor continue making her way to the bushes.

Happy flies over to Brenda and grabs onto the front of her helmet, hoping to stop her. But the praetor easily grabs Happy and tosses him aside as she continues running towards Mei Li and Amelia.

"NO!" Yukino yells in horror.

"AAAAHHH!" Mei Li and Amelia both screamed in unison. Amelia quickly turns around, crouches down and places her hands above her head to curl herself up into a protective ball. Mei Li continues screaming with her eyes closed as Brenda goes near her and thrusts her sword at her left shoulder.

But suddenly, Mei Li turns her body to her left and backs away to dodge the sword. She swiftly grabs the praetor's arm by placing her left hand on the side and her right arm at the bottom of it, much to Brenda's surprise.

"DON'T HURT ME!" Mei Li screamed as she now swiftly places her right hand above Brenda's arm and brings it down, causing the praetor to yelp as a strong force causes her to drop her sword and bend her knees against her will. Mei Li proceeds to swing the back of her right arm at the right side of Brenda's head, causing her to back away as she releases her arm.

"STOP!" Mei Li screamed in terror again as she now takes a step forward and slams her hands onto Brenda's chest. Brenda gasped in pain as the impact of the blow pushes her back and sends her stumbling backwards. This gives Yukino the opportunity to run over to Brenda and tackle her to ground. As Brenda lands on her back, Yukino quickly sat on top of her, grabs her wrists and pins them onto the ground.

"Great work, Mei Li!" Yukino said, smiling at her.

"Huh?" Mei Li snaps her eyes open, realizing that she is still alive and well. As she stands back up and lowers her hands, she turns to Yukino and replied shyly to her, "W-what just happen?"

Yukino turns back to Brenda as Natsu, Alicia, Darren, Lucy and Happy go over to them. "Where are the others?!" Yukino demanded Brenda.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"There were eight of you during our last encounter, but now there are only four." Sting replied as he, Aries and Libra stood above Hodaka and the other two male praetors who are still lying on the ground in defeat.

"Where are the others hiding?" Yukino questioned Brenda.

"You should know!" Brenda replied furiously to her. "You killed them!"

"What?!" Yukino cried incredulously. "Sting and I would never kill!"

"Liars!" Brenda snapped.

"Actually, Mei Li and I remember there were twelve of them hunting us when we first arrive at this world." Amelia said as she stood up from behind the bushes.

"That's right." Mei Li said as she nods her head.

"That's probably the first expedition who was assigned to find you guys, but our superiors reported that they are all dead!" Brenda yelled at Mei Li and Amelia before looking back at Yukino. "Probably killed by you damn mages!"

"That's insane! We guilds would never kill anyone!" Natsu yelled at Brenda.

"Not to mention, Sting and I only just arrived here two days ago!" Yukino added.

"Then how did the first four members of my expedition died?!" Brenda inquired.

"How would we know?" Yukino said, frowning in confusion.

Suddenly, Darren gasped as he felt the ground trembling. He turns his head to the trees behind him and shouted, "GET BACK!"

As everyone turn their heads to the direction where Darren is staring, several large vines suddenly burst out from the ground and heading straight towards them. Mei Li, Amelia and Aries scream as they, Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Darren and Alicia quickly get out of the way. Yukino also quickly gets off of Brenda and pulls her up by her collar, getting themselves out of the way in time before the vines burst out from where they originally were. As Yukino and Brenda lie onto the ground, the praetor lifts her head up and grabs her sword she had dropped earlier.

When the trembling came to a stop, everyone look back to see what had appeared. They see several gigantic vines wrapped up together and sprung out from the ground.

"W-what is this?" One of the taller male praetors uttered in fear as he stares at the vines and lied where he is.

"I don't know." The other male praetor replied as he lies beside him.

Everybody turn and look up when they heard footsteps coming from the back of the vines. They see two figures casually walking on the vines and heading towards them. One of them has the head of a crow, black feathers, a yellow beak and blood red eyes. He also wears black robes that conceal the rest of his body and black boots.

The other is a short girl with dark grey skin, scars across her forehead, golden eyes, and spiky light purple hair. She wears a sleeveless white dress with a dark purple skirt underneath it, dark purple ribbons circling around her arms and neck area, black ripped stockings and dark purple shoes. She is also placing a pink umbrella with a black handle and an orange pumpkin head with a golden spike on top of it over her right shoulder.

The two figures came to a halt when they are near Darren, Natsu and the others. As she hides behind some bushes along with Amelia and Happy, Mei Li widens her eyes and tremble in horror again upon seeing the humanoid crow.

"It's him! The crow demon!" Mei Li cried as she points a shaking finger at him.

"There are more of them now?" The humanoid crow remarked.

"Doesn't matter. The master orders us to capture anyone who invades the forest." The grey-skinned girl replied. "So do your thing, Tokoyami."

"Same to you, Road." The humanoid crow responded. Suddenly, as Tokoyami swiftly turns his head to the taller male praetors who are still lying on the ground, a shadowy, monstrous figure that resembles a darker version of him comes out from his body through an umbilical cord and flies over to them. The figure quickly grabs and picks up the praetors with his gigantic claws, causing them to cry in horror.

"AAAAHHH!" One of the praetors yelled.

"HELP US!" The other praetor cried to their allies.

"Yegor! Jason! Hang on!" Hodaka shouted to them as he gets back up on his feet. But as soon as he does, Road aims her umbrella at him and a smirk appears on her face.

"Uh-uh-uh!" The umbrella lifts its head up and cried with a sadistic smile before firing a blast of dark red energy from its mouth. The blast hits Hodaka on his chest, which sends him falling back onto the ground.

"Did the umbrella just talk?!" Lucy cried incredulously.

"Yes I did! Why do people always say that when they see me do that, Lero?!" The umbrella shouted hysterically as he turns his head to Lucy, with his sadistic look now replaced with one of unhappiness and self-pity. Road chuckled as she now turns to Lucy and aims her umbrella at her. But suddenly, a pair of yo-yos wrapped around the umbrella, causing him to squeal. Alicia gave a pull and snatches the umbrella out of Road's hands. "AH, ROAD! HELP ME, LERO!"

As Alicia grabs hold of Lero, Darren runs past her and prepares to swing his katana diagonally as he goes near Road.

"Calm down, Lero." Road said to her umbrella nonchalantly before she gets into an offensive crouch. Her teeth break out into a mischievous grin as she yells confidently, "It's not like we'll be defeated that easily!"

Road swiftly charges over to Darren and swings her right hand diagonally at him just as he delivers a diagonal strike with his katana at her. After the two deflected their sword and nails, Darren and Road both deliver several horizontal and vertical strikes at each other. Darren is barely able to catch up with her and he is surprised to see a short girl displaying such strength and agility against a taller man like him. Road brings her hands down and delivers an overhead strike at him, but Darren manages to block her attack by holding his katana up. As the two now stayed in a stalemate, Road leans her head towards Darren as she gives him a mocking smile.

"I'm surprised your sword is able to withstand my nails. Usually, other weapons break as soon as they make contact with them." Road complimented. Darren manages to push Road back, but the girl quickly recovers and delivers a powerful punch to his chest with her right fist. Darren gasped as he is sent flying through the air for a moment before his back collided against the trunk of a tree.

"Darren!" Alicia cried.

"Let go of me, Lero!" Lero yelled as he now continuously slams his head against the side of Alicia's head.

"Ow-ow-ow! Stop it!" Alicia cried as she clings onto the umbrella while withstanding the annoyance and pain that Lero is delivering onto her right now.

Meanwhile, Natsu and Sting are now occupied with Tokoyami and his shadow. Natsu tries to swing his punches at Tokoyami. But Tokoyami remains calm as he dodges his attacks by backing away and moving side to side. When Natsu tries to deliver an uppercut to him, Tokoyami quickly dodges it by leaping into the air and performing a backwards somersault before his fist could collide against the bottom of his beak. As Tokoyami lands back on the ground safely on his feet, he looks back up at Natsu and said flatly, "We can do this all day."

Natsu snarls at Tokoyami before charging towards him again. Meanwhile, Sting also struggles to swing his fists and legs at Tokoyami's shadow, which kept dodging his attacks by swiftly moving side to side while flailing the praetors around in his claws.

"Let go of them now!" Sting shouted at the shadow as he prepares to throw another punch at its face. But the shadow quickly holds up Jason in his left claw in front of Sting. Sting gasped as he quickly stops in mid-punch before his fist could collide against Jason's face. Behind his helmet, Jason looks surprised to see Sting choosing not to injure him despite being his enemy. The shadow chuckled as he moves Jason aside and quickly thrusts the top of his head at Sting's chest. Sting yells in pain as he is sent stumbling backwards by the powerful blow before landing onto the ground on his back.

"Gravity Change!" Libra shouted as she quickly goes over to Sting's side and swings her scales at the shadow and Tokoyami. Natsu quickly jumps out of the way as the gravitation force lifts Tokoyami up from his feet and sends him flying through the air. As he does, his shadow is also being pulled back due to the umbilical cord still attached to his body.

Natsu takes the opportunity to bend down on his knees, leaps himself into the air and throws his fist back, preparing to deliver a punch at Tokoyami. However, Tokoyami quickly recovers and turns his head to a nearby tree that he is flying over to. He adjusts himself and aims his feet at the tree. When his feet made contact with the trunk of the tree, Tokoyami bends down on his knees and pushes himself into the air, sending him flying towards Natsu along with his shadow in incredible speed. Tokoyami reached the Fire Dragon Slayer before he could throw his punch. He adjusts himself again and kicks Natsu into his gut, causing him to gasp in pain as the two lands back down onto the ground.

"Natsu!" Sting yelled as he and Libra run over to Tokoyami who pins Natsu onto the ground by standing on top of his chest. But suddenly, Libra groans as she felt someone punching her at the back of head. She soon felt someone grabbing her by her neck and she finds herself being picked up for a brief moment before getting slammed onto the ground.

"What?!" Sting said incredulously as he turns his head to see Libra lying on the ground defeated. But her enemy is nowhere to be found. And before he could react, Sting gasps in pain as an invisible force punches him right in the gut. Shortly after, Sting throws himself back when he felt a direct uppercut to the bottom of his jaw. Finally, Sting felt something grabbing him by his face and he finds himself being slammed onto the ground like Libra.

"Sting!" Natsu cried in horror as he lies on the ground, bewildered to see his friend being defeated by an invisible force.

"About time you show up to help." Tokoyami murmured.

"Wool shot!" Aries shouted as she thrusts her hand and fires several blasts of pink wool at Road. Road however kept charging towards the Celestial Spirit as she slashes through the blasts with her fingernails.

"Ha!" Road cried with a huge grin. "Do you think some stupid soft material is going to stop-"

"LUCY KICK!" Lucy screamed as she suddenly appears beside Road and kicks her at the left side of her head while in mid-air. Road is sent rolling over the ground, but she quickly recovers from the blow and gets back up. As she does, Brenda charges over to her and swings her sword horizontally at her. Road dodges it by bending herself back enough to evade Brenda's sword. As she throws herself forward, Road swings both of her hands horizontally and successfully slashes Brenda across her chest, causing her to cry in pain as she falls onto the ground.

Yukino runs past Brenda. She proceeds to jump in the air and perform a twirling kick at Road, who blocks it by crossing and holding up her arms. The kick is still strong enough to push Road back, and when she came to a halt, the purple-haired girl looks over her shoulder to see Hodaka running over to her from behind.

But before Hodaka could reach her, the praetor finds himself getting punched across his left cheek, bringing his charge to a halt as he stumbles to the side. Suddenly, Hodaka felt the sides of his head being grabbed. His body is turned to his left and Hodaka's head is brought down. He throws himself back after something kicks him at the front of his helmet hard. Finally, he felt his arm being grabbed before the invisible force throws him over its shoulder and slams him on the ground. The invisible force finished him by stomping him on the front of the helmet.

"Hodaka!" Brenda cried in horror as she watched from where she lied.

Meanwhile, Road and Yukino continue throwing their punches and kicks at each other. The two managed to keep up as they block each other's attacks. But Yukino eventually manages to throws a punch across Road's face. She tries to deliver an uppercut with her left fist before Road could recover. However, Yukino suddenly felt her left arm being grabbed, stopping her from delivering her attack. As soon as Yukino turns her head to her left, she felt a fist slamming against her face, making her yelp. When the invisible force releases her arm, Yukino felt two more punches across both of her cheeks before it delivers a final overhead strike onto the top of her head, making her unconscious and sending her falling on the ground on her face.

"Yukino!" Lucy cried as she, Aries, Alicia and Darren watch their friend go down in shock.

"What's going on?!" Alicia uttered while clinging onto Lero in her hands.

"Haha!" Lero laughed mockingly while still struggling to escape from Alicia's grip. "Let's see if you guys can fight against something that you can't see-MMMMM!"

Lero's voice is suddenly when Darren stuffs some of Aries's wool from the ground into his mouth.

"Thanks." Alicia said to Darren before the two turn back to Road. Road sneers at them as she holds out her right hand and gestures them to come over. Lucy, Aries, Alicia and Darren remain where they are, knowing that Road is not alone and trying to lure them into a trap.

"What do we do? Whatever took down Yukino is surely near her." Lucy whispered to her friends.

"And we can't see its movements and footprints either." Alicia added.

Darren briefly remains silent as he pondered. Suddenly, he turns to Aries and asked softly, "Aries, do you have a spell that produces some sort of air around the area?"

"I-I do." Aries replied with a whisper.

"Then do it." Darren said.

"O-okay." Aries nods her head.

"What are you guys babbling about?! Have you all chicken out?" Road asked with a mischievous grin. "If you are, then let us put an end to your misery!"

Road runs her way over to Lucy, Aries, Darren and Alicia and throws her arms back, preparing to attack them. But Aries soon pulls her hand back and forms a light pink ball of wool magic.

"100% Fluffy-Fluffy Wool!" Aries cried as she thrusts her hand forward and sends forth a thick, flurry of wool that engulfs the entire area in front of her, Lucy, Darren and Alicia. Everyone in the surrounding area including Road, Brenda, Tokoyami, Natsu, Sting, Libra and the other praetors are caught within the wool.

"Cover your mouths!" Natsu informed Sting and Libra before placing his hand over his mouth. The two obliged and cover their own mouths with their hands as well. Tokoyami tried to cover his beak with his hands but it was too late as some of Aries's wool has gone through his nostrils. He started coughing in pain as the wool went down into his lungs. The wool also leaves his shadow wheezing and he accidentally releases Yegor and Jason from his claws and drops them onto the ground.

While holding his breath and enlarging his cheeks, Natsu quickly grabs Tokoyami by his left foot and gave it a twist, causing Tokoyami to trip and get off of him. He and his shadow collapse onto the ground while Natsu gets up. As Natsu turns around, he barely sees Road coughing and clutching her chest in distance.

"W-What is-" Road tried to speak but she throws her head down and lets out a series of hacking coughs. As Lucy, Aries, Darren and Alicia stare at her; they soon spotted a silhouette beside her, who appears to be coughing as well as it holds its fist in front of its mouth.

"There it is!" Darren shouted. Lucy throws her whip at the silhouette while Darren charges over to it. As her whip coils around the silhouette's body, Lucy gave a hard pull to tighten her grip around it. When Darren got near it, he yells as he jumps up and delivers a twirling kick across the silhouette's face, sending him falling to the ground just as the wool began to clear.

As Darren lands on the ground, the silhouette began to take form as its ability to turn itself invisible died down. The person gets back up as he finally becomes visible to everyone's eyes, revealing himself to be a tall and muscular man with swept back white hair, grey eyes and tanned skin. He wears a tight black sleeveless suit, red separate sleeves that cover his arms and attached together by a knot in the front and a metal shard at the back, black pants, an open red skirt, and black boots.

When the pain in her chest is gone, Road breathed heavily as she slowly lifts her head back up and gave a ferocious glare at Lucy, Aries and Alicia. The three get back into their fighting stances as Road snarled at them.

"You will pay for that!" Road roared before making a mad dash towards them.

Meanwhile, Darren and the white-haired man stare boldly each other before the former holds up his katana and gets into his battle stance. The white-haired man closes his eyes and opens his hands as he magically summons two almost identical swords. While the sword in his right hand has a white blade, the other in his left hand has a black blade. The man clings onto the hilts of his swords and gets into his fighting stance.

"I humbly admit that it's very clever of you to think of something like that to force me to reveal myself. But now it's time for me to show you what you are actually up against." The man said.

"My name is Darren Leong." Darren introduced himself to the man.

"And my name…is Archer." The man replied before he swiftly charges over to Darren and swings both of his swords horizontally in incredible speed. Darren barely manages to dodge his attack by bending himself backward and the swords miss his face by an inch. Darren quickly swings his katana vertically upwards at Archer, who swiftly dodges the attack by moving himself to his left. When Archer finds himself beside Darren, he swings his swords down at him. But Darren quickly turns to him and swings his katana diagonally to deflect his attack. Archer backs away for a brief moment before swinging his swords horizontally at Darren again. Darren holds up his katana diagonally in front of him to block his attack and the two stayed in a stalemate.

"Darren!" Natsu yelled as he tries to run over to Darren and help him fight against Archer. But suddenly, Tokoyami's shadow grabs Natsu's arms from behind. Natsu grits his teeth and struggles to break free as the shadow lifts him up from the ground.

"You're not going anywhere!" Tokoyami, who is back on his feet, yells at Natsu before his shadow turns and tosses him over to a nearby tree. Natsu groans in pain as his back collided against the trunk of the tree, and he lands on the ground on his face.

"Natsu!" Happy cried to him before flying over to his friend.

Tokoyami and his shadow turn to their right and see Sting, Libra and Yegor running over to them. His shadow flies over to them and swiftly throws his right fist at Libra. Libra dodges the attack by jumping into the air and the shadow's fist landed onto the ground where she originally stood instead. Sting goes over to the shadow and throws a punch at the shadow's face. The shadow quickly recovers from the blow and as he turns his head to Sting, he swings his left claw at him and sends the White Dragon Slayer flying through the air. Yegor tried to thrust his spear at the right side of the shadow's head, but Tokoyami swiftly leaps over to him and kicks the praetor at the left side of his helmet with his left knee. This causes Yegor to drop his spear and Tokoyami uses his right leg to kick him at the back of his head while in mid-air. Yegor falls onto the ground on his face and loses his consciousness.

As Tokoyami lands back on the ground, he turns to his right and sees Jason in the distance. Jason, who is completely defenceless after having his spear broken by Sting, flinched at Tokoyami. He turns around and tries to get away, but Tokoyami's shadow quickly flies over to him, swings his right claw down and slams Jason onto the ground. As the shadow pulls his right claw back, he also picks the now unconscious praetor up.

Darren swings his katana vertically downwards at Archer, who blocks his attack by holding up and crossing his swords. He pushes his katana back, causing Darren to take a few steps back away from him. This gives Archer the opportunity to lift his right leg up and swiftly kicks him in the gut. Darren manages to land back on his feet and his boots slide through the ground. Archer swiftly charges over to him and performs two upward diagonal swings with both of his swords. Darren manages to block them before Archer swings both of his swords down in a vertical downward strike. Darren blocks it by holding up his katana and the two stare furiously into each other's eyes as they push their swords against each other.

"You definitely have skills for a single sword wielder. But I assure you that you will never stand a chance against me." Archer said icily to Darren.

"I'll still do whatever it takes to defeat you and protect my friends." Darren responded before he manages to push Archer back with all of his strength. But Archer quickly responded by swiftly running past Darren and going behind him. As soon as Darren whirled about to face him, Archer delivers another powerful kick, this time landing on his chest. Darren gasps in pain as he is sent sprawling through the ground.

"Such a persistent fool." Archer remarked before charging over to Darren again.

Meanwhile, Aries falls to the ground after getting herself punched across the face by Road. Lucy and Alicia now run over to Road. Alicia performs a twirling kick at her head, but Road quickly grabs her left leg, turns around and tosses her to the ground. Road turns back to Lucy and sees that she is about to throw a punch at her. Road quickly dodges her punch by turning her body to right and grabs Lucy's arm. She swiftly hits Lucy's forehead with her left elbow before tossing her over and slamming her onto the ground on her back. Road finally stomps Lucy on her face to knock her out.

Road looks up when she heard Lero's muffled scream. She sees Alicia running back to her and about to swing Lero across her face. Road quickly backs away to dodge the attack. Alicia thrusts Lero at her, but Road ducks down and throws a punch to her stomach. Alicia groans in pain as she bends over and drops Lero. Road quickly delivers an uppercut to the bottom of her chin, and as she gets up, she brings her fist down onto the top of Alicia's head. Alicia falls onto the ground on her face and passes out. Road sweeps back her hair before picking Lero up from the ground and removes the wool from his mouth.

Lero made a few hacking coughs before saying to Road, "Thanks Road. I thought these guys wool be the death of me, Lero!"

While all of this is going on, Mei Li and Amelia were cowering behind the bushes as they watch the entire fight in front of them in fear.

"Amelia, what do we do?" Mei Li asked Amelia timidly. "Is there any way we can help them?"

"How can we?! I'd be stuffed fighting 'em since I can't fight and you're as scared as a mouse! Screw this! I ain't copping a beating or getting caught up with those guys! I'm ditching 'em!" Amelia cried before turning around to flee.

"Amelia, no!" Mei Li cried as she tries to reach her hand out to her. Amelia ignores her as she kept running for the trees. But only after running a few meters, Amelia shrieks as a wire suddenly wraps around her ankles and gave a hard pull. Amelia finds herself falling over and she groans as the back of her head slams onto the ground with a hard thud. The wire soon pulls her up and Amelia is hung upside down. She screams again as she quickly pulls her skirt up to prevent herself from exposing what is underneath it to everyone around her.

"What the hell screwed me over just now?!" Amelia cried exasperatedly before a woman with long lime green hair and dressed in black and white jumps down from a branch of the tree and lands in front of her. As she crouched, the woman lifts her head up and gives a wan smile at Amelia.

"Nice of you to fall right into my trap. Now sleep." The woman said softly before reaching her finger out to Amelia.

"What are you-" Amelia gets cut off when the woman taps her finger onto her forehead. Within a second, Amelia rolls her eyes back and closes her eyelids as she falls into a deep slumber. Mei Li simply watched in fear as the woman stood up and magically summons a knife in her right hand. She swings it diagonally to cut the wire and release Amelia. As her hostage slumps onto the ground, the woman places her left hand on the left side of her hip as she turns her head to her allies.

"Road! Archer! Tokoyami! We are running out of time before we report back to the master! Just grab whoever you can and leave already!" The lime green haired woman calls out to them.

"You got it, C.C.!" Road cheerfully responded to her before picking Alicia up from the ground by the back of her clothes. Darren breathed heavily as he watches Archer lowering his swords and standing back up straight.

"I'll deal with you again some other time." Archer said before turning around. He swiftly goes over to Yukino and picks her up from the ground.

"No! Yukino! Alicia!" Darren shouted as he sees Archer and Road carrying Yukino and Alicia over their shoulders. He tries to run over to them, but Tokoyami's shadow suddenly slams his left claw onto the ground in front of him. The strong rumble causes Darren to fall onto the ground on his back. The shadow pulls his left claw back before he returns to Tokoyami and helps him pick Yegor up from the ground. As Brenda kneels beside the unconscious Hodaka and tends to him, she widens her eyes in horror behind her helmet as she sees Jason and Yegor being taken away by Tokoyami and his shadow.

"NO!" Brenda shouted. She tries to get up, but she stops and winces as she clutches onto the injury on her chest.

"Lucy!" Natsu murmured and Happy cried as they see Archer picking up the unconscious Lucy and carrying her over his other shoulder. Happy grits his teeth and flies over to him as fast as he can. But C.C. quickly runs over and gets in his way while carrying Amelia over her right shoulder. She throws a punch across Happy's face with her left fist and kicks him to the side with her right leg as she turns. Darren quickly gets up and catches Happy in his hands. C.C. stares blankly at Darren for a brief moment before she turns around and flees from the scene.

"Dammit! No!" Darren shouted as he gets up. Road, Archer and Tokoyami also swiftly run past him and the others as they follow after C.C. while taking Alicia, Lucy, Yukino, Jason and Yegor with them.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried helplessly as he reaches out his hand to her. But she and the captors had already left the area. Sting and Libra go over to Natsu who hangs his head down and slams his fist onto the ground in frustration. "Darn!"

Natsu remains silent and stays on the ground for a moment before he looks up at Sting and Libra who help him get up. Darren walks over to them and hands Happy over to Natsu.

"Don't be sad, Natsu." Happy whimpered to him.

"I'm sorry." Darren said apologetically to Natsu who takes Happy from him. "I failed to stop them."

"It's alright. So did I." Natsu replied grimly, but does feel relieved that Happy is fine.

"Hodaka please! Hang in there!" They turn their heads to Brenda when they heard her crying over her fellow praetor who is still unconscious. Aries and Mei Li stood near her as they watch in concern.

"M-Ma'am," Mei Li tried to speak to her. "How about you let me-"

"Stay away from us!" Brenda bellowed at Mei Li and Aries as she turns her head to them. Mei Li and Aries flinched as Natsu, Darren, Sting and Libra go over to her and Aries.

"It's okay. We're not fighting anymore." Sting said to Brenda as he holds up his hands. "Just let us help you and your friend."

"Because of you, my friends got taken away! Get out of my sight!" Brenda yelled furiously back at him.

"Please! We won't hurt you!" Natsu added. Brenda picks up her sword from the ground and swings it horizontally in front of them.

"LEAVE!" She screamed as Natsu and the others back away from her. After sheathing her sword, Brenda carries Hodaka in her arms as she gets up and runs away from them. Natsu and the others stood where they are and frown as they watch her leave.

* * *

Sometime later, Road, Archer, Tokoyami and C.C. drop Lucy, Yukino, Alicia, Amelia, Jason and Yegor carelessly onto the ground in a horizontal row. All of them have regain consciousness by the time they were brought to where they currently are now. After doing so, Road, Archer, Tokoyami and C.C. got them up and kneeling on the ground. Tokoyami and C.C. remove the helmets off from the praetor's heads, revealing that Jason has spiked up blonde hair and blue eyes while Yegor has short white hair and brown eyes. Amelia turns her head and looks at Archer over her shoulder.

"What the bloody hell is-" Amelia soon cuts herself off when Archer points the tips of his swords at the backs of her and the other hostages.

"Hands behind your heads." Archer said flatly to them. Amelia, now trembling in fear, quickly turns her head back to the front and did what she was told. The other hostages obliged as well and Lucy turns to her right to see Road standing beside her. She and Lero momentarily glare at Lucy before everyone could feel the ground rumbling.

Lucy, Road and Lero turn back to the front and everyone see many gigantic vines emerging out from the ground. The vines stop right in front of them and they see a huge flower bud growing up from the top of the pile of vines. The bud blossoms up into a large flower and revealing a teenage boy inside it. Road, Lero, Archer, Tokoyami and C.C. close their eyes and bow solemnly to the boy as he steps out of the flower, walks down the pile of vines and makes his way to their hostages.

Lucy, Yukino, Alicia, Amelia, Jason and Yegor widen their eyes as they take a closer look at the approaching figure. He has short grey hair, calm green eyes and wears a white long-sleeved tuxedo with long coattails, a white collar shirt and a dark blue vest underneath it, a large red ribbon tied around his collar, dark blue shorts, long black socks that goes up to his thighs and dark brown high heel boots. The most distinguishable features of his appearance are that he has large rat ears and has a light pink tail at the back of his waist. When he is near them, the boy stops and folds his arms.

"Intruders of the West Forest." The boy said icily to the six hostages kneeling in front of him. "My name is Laurent Mendy."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Ushindeshi and AquaBluey for reviewing this story. And special thanks again to Crimson-Tuna-Sub for helping me with Amelia's dialogue. Thanks guys!**

 **Hodaka Morishima is from Makoto Shinkai's _Weathering With You_ , Tokoyami Fumikage is from _My Hero Academia_ , Road Kamelot is from _D. Gray-Man_ , Archer is from _Fate/Stay Night_ and C.C. is from _Code Geass_.**


	27. Bonds, Part 3

_**Bonds, Part 3**_

"He's a demihuman." Alicia murmured as she gazed at the boy before them.

"Demi-what?" Amelia arches an eyebrow as she turns her head to Alicia for a brief moment. Tokoyami grabs Amelia by the top of her head and forces her to look back at Laurent.

"I'm impressed you are able to outlast most people who have intruded my territory. Felicitations to you." Laurent said icily to Amelia.

"Umm, cheers mate?" Amelia replied as she looks back at the demihuman in confusion. "And how do you know that I've been here this whole time?"

"This forest is my territory, and I observe and control every corner of it. As soon as any of you enter this place, I can immediately sense your presence." Laurent replied.

"That's right, Lero!" Lero sneered at their hostages. "We may not capture your other friends now, but sooner or later, we will!"

"Speaking of the allies of these intruders, I find your declining performance in dealing with them to be very disturbing, Lero and Road Kamelot." Laurent said coldly to Road and Lero.

"Huh?" Lero said as he and Road stare at Laurent petrified.

"Last time, you were able to wipe out an entire squadron of these intruders on your own and personally deliver them to me. But now, you only managed to bring six of the fifteen trespassers who are currently wandering in my territory." Laurent said.

"An entire squadron?" Yegor murmured as he and Jason frowned.

"Could it be the first expedition?" Jason added.

"We are aware of that, your master. But our enemies as of late have proven to become stronger than we expected." Road explained to Laurent apprehensively.

"So, you are admitting that you two have grown weak!" Laurent snapped. Road widens her eyes in horror when she realized her blunder.

"No, wait! I-" But as Road tried to protest, Laurent suddenly holds up his hand and snaps his fingers. A vine burst out from the ground beside his feet, flies over to them and coils itself around their bodies. Road and Lero cry in pain as the vine tightens and is slowly crashing their bodies. Lucy, Yukino, Alicia, Amelia, Jason and Yegor watch in shock as Laurent punishes his servants.

"N-no! P-please stop, Lero!" Lero begged in pain.

"We promise t-to do better!" Road pleaded as she squirmed in the vines.

"Please master! Let them go!" Archer implored Laurent. "Because our previous battles were easy for us, we have underestimated the latest wave of intruders this time round. We needed to fight them head on so that we can be fully prepared to face them next time round!"

"Fine. Then you can share the punishment with them." Laurent replied flatly to Archer.

"What?" Archer said as Laurent thrusts his left hand at him. Another vine burst out from the pile behind Laurent and swiftly flies over to Archer. Archer didn't had time to react as the vine wraps itself around his upper body and carries him into the air.

"What's wrong, Archer? You used to be my best subordinate. But this time, just like Road, you couldn't even defeat half of the current number of intruders." Laurent said coldly.

"T-This boy…" Archer struggled to speak. "He is the first to discover my concealment magic and-"

"I don't want any excuses!" Laurent barked at him as he curls his fingers. Archer yells in pain as the vine around him tightened. The rat-like demihuman now eyes at Tokoyami who flinched at the sight of his master's glare. "What about you, Tokoyami? Have you and your shadow lost your touch as well?"

"No, master! We were able to fend off five intruders on our own!" Tokoyami cried. His shadow emerges from his body and frantically nods his head to Laurent.

"Yet you only managed to knock out two of them while the other three remain at large." Laurent rebuked. Tokoyami momentarily lost his ability to speak.

"Well…I…" As Tokoyami tried to think of a response, Laurent snaps his fingers again with his other hand and several vines emerge beneath Tokoyami's feet. One vine flies over to his shadow and wraps around his throat while the others coil around Tokoyami's legs and body. As the vines now carry them up in the air along with Archer, Tokoyami and his shadow try to pull the vines off their bodies and throat with their hands and claws but to no avail. Despite how sharp his claws are, his shadow could not pierce through the strong layers of Laurent's vines.

"Finally, you, C.C…." Laurent said menacingly to C.C., who is now shaking in fear. "I acknowledge that you aren't much of a combatant as the others, but while you finally manage to capture one of the girls who have been intruding my forest for the last two months, the other one still remains at large. Why didn't you capture her as well?!"

C.C. remained silent. What is she supposed to tell him? That despite Amelia's friend standing right in front of her and unable to fight back, she couldn't bring herself to deliver her to her master because she noticed the fear in her eyes? No. Laurent will never accept an answer like that-

"Is it because you gave into your emotions again while dealing with an intruder who is defenseless?" Laurent implied. C.C. gasped and widened her eyes in shock when her master is able to find out the real reason just by studying her face and body language.

"N-no!" C.C. replied frighteningly. "I-"

"How many times do I have to tell you to never let care cloud your judgment?!" Laurent bellowed as he holds up his hand. As C.C. noticed him about to snap his fingers, she shuts her eyes and lowers her head. Tears form through her close eyelids as she prepares to embrace her inevitable punishment.

"STOP!" Lucy screamed. Her plead caused Laurent to lower his hand and C.C. to snap her eyes open in surprise. Archer, Road, Lero and Tokoyami stare at Lucy in awe as well. "This isn't how you are supposed to treat the people who have shown loyalty and respect to you!" She yelled at the demihuman.

"Why shouldn't I?" Laurent said coldly to Lucy. "It's because of their sheer incompetence to handle two humans who have been hiding in my forest for months, they have allowed more intruders to enter here since. Inept fools need to be reeducated."

"What re-education? Through pain and torture?!" Lucy retorted.

"I'm only doing what you humans did to me and each other." Laurent replied.

"Not all of us do!" Lucy cried. "I know you demihumans were mistreated by us after the Tartaros incident-"

"And you judge me?" Laurent immediately cut her off with a grimace. Lucy frowns as she and Laurent gaze at each other for a few seconds.

"If you want to clear your home of intruders, surely you still need them in good condition to help you do that, right? So what will hurting them gain you?" Lucy rebuked. Laurent remains silent for a few seconds before he responded to her with a snort.

"It's not like I'm going to kill them." Laurent said before snapping his fingers. The vines place Archer and Tokoyami back down on their feet and they remove themselves from their bodies. The vines also release Road and Lero and they, Archer, Tokoyami and his shadow take the opportunity to catch their breath. C.C. lets out a heavy sigh, relieved that she is spared from Laurent's punishment.

"What are you going to do to us?" Lucy asked Laurent.

"As punishment for intruding my territory, I want you all to become my soldiers and join my cause in destroying Petunia." Laurent replied.

"Petunia?" Yukino said incredulously as she heard the name of the town she and Sting originally came from.

When Laurent snaps his fingers again, sixteen large flower buds emerge from the ground and the gigantic pile of vines behind him. The flower buds slightly open their petals, revealing the helmeted heads of the praetors stored inside them, much to the horror of Lucy, Yukino, Alicia, Amelia, Yegor and Jason.

"T-They are…our fellow praetors!" Yegor said petrified.

"So, it was them who wiped out the first expedition and half of ours." Jason added.

"H-h-hey! This has gotta be some sick joke, right?!" Amelia cried as her eyes and body shook in horror. "Do you really want to store us inside…that?!"

"Yes." Laurent nodded. "Within time, your bodies will be modified, and your minds will be controlled under my magic."

Amelia gasped as her skin is drained of its color. "NO! This can't be happening! Are you saying not only my beautiful body will be looking like someone straight out of Boganville and my mind will be messed up worse than the local druggos you find at the servos at 3AM, but I'm also going to be chucked inside some goo that looks and smells chat as?!" She screamed in sheer terror as tears welled up in her eyes.

"It is the punishment you humans rightfully deserve after what you did to me." Laurent said coldly.

"Hey! I did nothing to you! All I did was try to survive in your forest having to smell like dingo poo for months!" Amelia shouted hysterically. "If you want revenge, why don't you do it on them?!" She gestures Laurent to Lucy and Yukino, who both look peeved at Amelia. "They were the ones who fought your servants and-"

"Silence!" Laurent bellowed as he thrusts his hand at Amelia. A vine bursts out from the ground in front of Amelia's knees and wraps itself around her mouth, silencing the frightened girl.

As Amelia muffles a scream, Lucy took a gulp and asked Laurent, "Why are you doing this? Why do you want to invade Petunia?"

"To return Petunia to its rightful owners." Laurent replied. "You must be a mage, right? And I heard most mages are members of guilds. So surely, if your guild was to accept a mission that requires you to help a group of people retake their homeland, naturally you would go against the ones who stole it from them, right?"

"I see. You originally belong to that town, and the humans probably chase you out after the Tartaros Incident. You want to take back what you lost, and I sympathize with you." Lucy said grimly to Laurent. "But again, violence is never the way. I believe that not all humans back in Petunia wanted you ousted. But ultimately, it was beyond their control. You may have lost everything, but you must prove that you're better than them. So no, even if you are making it as a guild request, no one, especially Fairy Tail, won't accept it."

"Lucy-sama." Yukino uttered with a warm smile.

"Tch." Laurent scoffed. "Don't make me laugh with such nonsense. All of you will still become my soldiers, whether you like it or not. C.C., Archer, Tokoyami! Escort all of them to their cell. After that, Archer and Tokoyami will proceed to the west part of the forest. I've detected the presence of two new intruders."

C.C., Archer and Tokoyami quietly nod their heads and do what they were told. The three grab the hostages from behind and forcibly get them to stand up on their feet.

"Road, Lero, if you wish to redeem yourself, return to the east part of the forest. I've located that the other intruders are still there." Laurent said to Road and Lero.

"Aye! Lero!" Lero hastily replied as he and Road nodded.

"Do not fail me this time." Laurent warned them. Lero took a gulp while Road pursed her lips and remains silent. She immediately turns around and run off to search for Darren, Natsu and the others while carrying Lero in her hands.

As the vine unwraps itself from her mouth and returns back into the ground below, Amelia took a deep breath and fearfully said to Alicia as C.C., Archer and Tokoyami turn them and the others to their left, "What are we going to do now?!"

"I advise you to remain calm and silent." Alicia whispered to her.

"MOVE!" Archer shouted as he roughly pushes Alicia and Amelia from behind and everyone proceed to make their way to their cell.

Meanwhile, Laurent turns around and closes the flower buds before bringing them back underground and inside the pile of vines. He turns to his right and holds out his hand, growing six new small flower buds from the ground.

"Within time," Laurent said coldly. "My vengeance will come."

* * *

As she kneels several meters away from her friend who is lying on the ground with his eyes closed, Brenda tears off her roll after applying the bandages around the area of her chest where Road slashed across before. She puts the roll aside on the ground and proceeds to put her uniform back on. As she does so, Hodaka lets out a soft moan as he regains consciousness and slowly opens his eyelids. After she finished wearing her uniform, Brenda gets up and turns around to see the boy with short black hair and light brown eyes.

"Brenda?" Hodaka said as he turns his head to his left and sees the black-eyed woman whose orange hair is tied to a long ponytail.

"Hey Hodaka." Brenda said, smiling at him in relief. After Hodaka lifts himself from the ground, he looks around and widens his eyes in horror.

"Jason? Yegor? Where are they?!" Hodaka cried in concern as he turns his head back to Brenda.

"Gone. Taken away by the enemies hiding within the trees." Brenda said sadly. Hodaka lowers his head and slams his fist on the ground.

"Dammit!" Hodaka grits his teeth. "We promised each other that we would accomplish our mission and go home together!"

"I'm so sorry, Hodaka. I never wanted this too." Brenda said, clenching her fists as her heart sank.

Hodaka shook his head in response. "No, Brenda. It was my fault for not being strong enough to protect everyone." He said grimly before there was a moment of a silence between the two.

"You were right, Tal. There are praetors in this area." A menacing voice boomed. Brenda gasps and whirls about upon hearing the voice. To the surprise of her and Hodaka, they see two familiar figures approaching towards them.

"Mala Makra! Captain Tal Olsen!" Brenda cried upon seeing Mala and Tal. Hodaka quickly got up from the ground and goes over to his friend's side. When Mala and Tal are near them, Brenda and Hodaka salute to their superiors.

"What are your names?" Mala inquired.

"Corporal Brenda Bierhoff." Brenda responded.

"Private Hodaka Morishima." Hodaka replied.

"Brenda Bierhoff. If my memory is correct, you are in charge of the second expedition sent by Lieutenant Cheria Barnes to find two magicless people who appeared in the West Forest, am I right, Corporal?" Mala asked Brenda.

"Yes sir." Brenda replied uneasily.

"I see. We are currently in the West Forest then. At ease." Mala said. Brenda and Hodaka lower their hands. "What happen to the rest of your expedition?"

"They were all wiped out, sir." Brenda explained grimly. "There are enemies hiding within this forest, and they interrupt our mission to locate and capture the two magicless people in the process."

"I see. Not only have you failed to avenge the first expedition who were sent before you, but also failed as the leader of your own. You are a disgrace to the Abbey." Mala said. Brenda instantly kneels on the ground on a single knee and kept her head down.

"I truly am sorry, sir." Brenda said. Shortly after, Mala delivers a strong kick across her face. Hodaka gasps in horror as he watches Brenda collapsing onto the ground.

"An apology isn't enough to make up for the loss of your fallen comrades." Mala replied coldly. Brenda sobs as she clenches her fists in shame and frustration.

"I…I know…" Brenda choked as tears well up in her eyes.

"Sir, please!" Hodaka said as he hurriedly places himself between Brenda and Mala. He gave Mala a salute before pleading to his superior, "Don't blame Corporal Bierhoff for the deaths of the other members of our expedition! As her subordinate, I have seen the way she treats all of us with huge amounts of love and care. She motivates us to stay strong and complete our mission, and that is why we all respect her as our squad leader in return. And when we were engaged in battle with our enemies, we all fought together and sacrifice ourselves to protect each other, especially Corporal Bierhoff, in order to keep our expedition alive! That is why if you are going to punish anyone, I deserve to share the blame for failing to live up to the Abbey's standards and realizing the strength of our enemies!"

"Hodaka." Brenda uttered as she looks up at him with tearstained eyes.

"Very well." Mala said, gesturing Tal to deliver Hodaka his punishment. Hodaka could only watch in horror as Tal walks over to him. Tal proceeds to grab Hodaka's head with his hand and clutches him with all his strength. Hodaka screamed in pain as he felt Tal lifting him up in the air and slowly crashing his skull with his bare hand.

"NO! STOP!" Brenda cried in horror as she gets back up from the ground.

"You should thank your subordinate, Corporal Bierhoff. He is taking your punishment on your behalf." Mala said icily to Brenda. "And after failing to keep most of your expedition alive, surely you can agree that you don't deserve to have one of your own."

"Please sir! Don't kill him!" Brenda pleaded as she gets down on her knees. She places her hands on the ground and gave a bow to Mala. "He has done nothing but pledge his full loyalty to the Abbey! If you kill him, you will never find another true praetor like him!" She looks back up at Mala as tears now flow down her cheeks. "Please…I need him."

Mala stares silently at Brenda for a few moments before turning his head to Tal. He gestures him to release Hodaka, and he obliged. As Tal carelessly drops Hodaka back onto the ground, the boy fell on his knees and groans as he clutches the sides of his head in pain. Brenda quickly goes over and places her hands on his shoulders as she kneels beside him.

"If you truly wish to redeem yourselves, then I have an additional mission for you aside from looking for the two magicless people." Mala said. Brenda and Hodaka look up at him and the former nods her head.

"We will obey you, sir." Brenda said.

"There are four people here whom I'm hunting down. The first is a woman with long blonde hair and dressed in green. The second is a man with black hair and wears glasses. The third is a man with pink hair and a white scarf, and the fourth is a woman with blonde hair and dressed in white and blue." Mala explained. Brenda and Hodaka widen their eyes as they vividly remember the looks of the enemies they faced before.

"Sir! We happened to have encounter them!" Brenda said.

"Is that so? Where do you last saw them?" Mala asked.

"I-I remembered…fighting the two men…in the southeast d-direction." Hodaka managed to reply as his head is still doubled up in pain. He shows Mala and Tal the way by pointing his finger at the east direction right behind him.

"Tal." Mala said to Tal before the red-haired man kneels on a single knee and places his hand on the ground. He closes his eyes and a circular wave of teal light illuminates through the ground. When he reopens his eyes, Tal turns to Mala and nods his head.

"Come with us." Mala ordered Brenda and Hodaka. "Help us fight against the enemies of the Abbey and I will overlook your failures."

"Yes sir!" Brenda and Hodaka both yelled in unison.

"Grab your equipment and get ready to move out." Mala ordered. As she stood up, Brenda helps Hodaka get up from the ground. They quickly head over to their weapons, helmets and other equipment which she had placed on the ground and pick them up.

"Arigatou, Brenda." Hodaka moaned to Brenda as he puts on his gauntlets.

"I promise you. We will stay alive…finish our mission…and go back home together." Brenda said softly to him as she wraps the belt of her scabbard around her hip.

Hodaka lowers his head and whimpered, "I just want to go home to Japan…and tell my parents that I'm sorry for everything I've done."

"I want to see my own parents back in Germany again too." Brenda said with a wan smile. "So let's fight for our survival…and for them."

Hodaka nods his head to her before the two finally pick up their helmets and put them over their heads. The two turn around to face Mala and Tal and Brenda unsheathes her sword from her scabbard.

"Let's go!" Mala ordered. The four turn to the direction of Natsu and Darren's location and walk together through the forest. Mala clenches his fists as he once again feels the anger and frustration raging inside his body. The anger of being defeated and humiliated by Alicia and Darren once again, and the frustration he gained from being used as a tool by Cornelia and helplessly enduring her torments every time he fails a mission. Mala just couldn't take it anymore. He is tired of losing to the enemy and failing to live up to the Abbey's standards. He is supposed to be better than most praetors, but now he is being looked down by the other higher-ups because of Darren, Alicia and Fairy Tail. But Mala vows to himself that the next time round, his fight with the enemy will end in victory, and Tal, Brenda and Hodaka shall be his witnesses.

" _Wait for me."_ Mala thought as he embraces the fury boiling inside him. _"I will show you all how worthy I am."_

* * *

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted as he and his friends search for Lucy, Alicia and the others. Shortly after Brenda and Hodaka left their sights, Natsu, Darren, Happy, Sting, Mei Li, Aries and Libra decide to travel towards the direction where Road, Archer, Tokoyami and C.C. had taken their friends. As they keep going in that direction, Natsu assigned Happy to fly above the trees and look out for any sign of their enemies.

"Alicia!" Darren shouted as well with his hands at the sides of his mouth as everyone kept walking.

"Yukino!" Sting yelled.

"Amelia!" Mei Li cried in worry. As their voices die down, they did not receive any sort of response. The forest is once again eerily silent aside from the sounds of their feet crashing the leaves and grass on the ground. Natsu lets out a heavy sigh as everyone came to a halt.

"This is just great. Not being able to use our Dragon Slayer magic and find our way out of this forest are bad enough. But now to add more salt into our wounds, a group of mysterious mages show up to kick our butts and capture our friends." Natsu said miserably.

"Just who were those guys anyway?" Sting said.

"I know one of them." Mei Li said timidly, and everyone turned to her.

"The one that resembles a crow?" Darren asked, remembering that she referred one of them as 'the crow demon'.

"Yes." Mei Li nodded. "While Amelia and I were hiding together in a cave for the last two months, I would see the crow demon lurking around the forest every now and then whenever I try to leave to get food, water and wood for us. Occasionally, I would see him with that zombie-like girl too."

"I guess they have been living in this forest longer than any of us." Natsu said, scratching his head.

"Strangely, there used to be a large group of white knights, or praetors as you call them, who were hunting for us. But we never see any of them again until Sting and Yukino showed up." Mei Li said.

"They must see anyone who enters this forest as intruders, and that is why they came to attack us." Darren said as he, Sting and Natsu look at each other.

"But why did they capture Lucy and the others? What are they planning to do with them?" Sting questioned.

"We just have to keep searching for them before it's too late." Natsu said as he clenches his fists. Suddenly, Happy flies back down to them. The three boys turn to him as the exceed lands on the ground in front of them and breathes heavily.

"Any sign of Lucy and the others?" Natsu asked Happy. The exceed groans wearily as he sits down on the ground.

"I've been flying around this forest for nearly twenty minutes and I still can't find anything." Happy replied exhaustedly.

"Not even a way out of this forest?" Sting asked. Happy sadly shakes his head in response.

"It feels like no matter how much I keep flying straight, the only thing I see are even more trees! It's seemingly endless!" Happy said.

"That doesn't make any sense at all." Darren said to Sting, who nods his head in agreement. When they suddenly heard a sniffle, the three boys and Happy turn to Mei Li and watch her begin to weep.

"Mei Li?" Darren asked concernedly as Mei Li lowers her head.

"What's wrong?" Aries asked as she and Libra stood behind Mei Li and place their hands on her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, everyone!" Mei Li bawled as she wipes away her tears, but new ones immediately form in her eyes to take their place. "W-While you guys…were risking your lives to protect each other…I did absolutely nothing at all…and just hide behind the bushes like the coward I am. A-And I couldn't help Amelia too…w-when she was being taken away right in front of me. It's because of me…I have caused even more problems than we already have for all of us!"

As Mei Li continues sobbing in grief, Darren, Natsu, Sting, Happy and Libra stare wordlessly at her while Aries holds out her other hand and forms a fluff of pink wool.

"Please, don't cry." Aries tries to comfort Mei Li as she hands her the wool. Mei Li takes the wool and uses it to wipe her eyes and cheeks.

"Hey come on. Don't blame yourself for what happened." Natsu said as he walks up to Mei Li. As he stood in front of her, he gently places his hand on top of her head, causing Mei Li to bring her sobs to a halt and look up at him with tearstained eyes.

"N-Natsu?" Mei Li managed to choke out.

"It's alright to be afraid, ya know?" Natsu said to her with a warm smile. "We all have experienced fear in our lives, so there's nothing to be ashamed about it."

"You have experienced fear too?" Mei Li asked Natsu.

"Sometimes." Natsu nodded. "But you know what my friend Gildarts taught me? It's good to have courage to face your fears, but not having the bravery to sheath your sword when you know you can't win is foolish. If you know your weakness, learn from it, and motivate yourself to become stronger. That is how I'm able to become one of the strongest mages in all of Earth Land today!"

"Y-you think I'll be able to conquer my fear?" Mei Li asked.

"Hey, if Happy and Lucy can do it, so can you!" Natsu finished by giving a wide, cheerful grin to Mei Li. Darren and Sting sigh inwardly as they smile at them.

"Natsu." Darren murmured. After staring at Natsu for a few seconds, Mei Li wipes away her remaining tears and holds up her clenched fists.

"Alright. I'll try my best. For you and myself!" Mei Li responded with a solemn frown.

"That's the spirit!" Natsu winks an eye at her before removing his hand from her head. He and Mei Li smile at each other for a moment before the Fire Dragon Slayer proceed to ask, "But there's one thing I gotta ask of you."

"What is it?" Mei Li asked, staring at Natsu in confusion.

"Did you say that you collected food in this forest?!" Natsu yelled incredulously. Mei Li, Darren, Sting, Aries and Libra stare at him in bewilderment.

"Umm, yes. I did." Mei Li replied, looking perplexed.

"What food is there in the forest?! You gotta let us know! I'm starving here!" Natsu shouted anxiously.

After feeling his stomach growling again, Darren rubs it and said morosely, "Admittedly, so am I."

"And I really could use some fish right now." Happy said wearily as he holds up his paw.

"Yukino does have food with her. But sadly, she isn't with us right now." Sting said.

"Huh?! And you didn't bother to tell us that until now?! Why?!" Darren yelled at him.

"I um…forgot?" Sting replied, shrugging his shoulders as he gives Darren a sheepish grin.

"Well," Mei Li clasps her hands together. "The food that Amelia and I ate during our time here in the forest…"

"Yeeeeesssss?" Natsu said eagerly as he, Darren, Happy and Sting widen their eyes at Mei Li, awaiting her answer in anticipation.

"Are crickets and lizards!" Mei Li said as a huge smile appears on her face. Everyone silently stares at her for a few awkward moments before Natsu and Happy rush over to the nearest tree and vomit at its roots.

"HEY! Your responses are absolutely disrespectful!" Darren shouted furiously at them.

"W-what's wrong with eating them?!" Mei Li cried anxiously. "Back in my hometown, everybody loves them! They are good for you! Even Amelia eventually starts eating them regularly!" Mei Li turns her head away as she mumbled. "Despite throwing a tantrum about having to eat them during our first week here…" After Natsu and Happy barely recover from their nausea, they turn around and look back at Mei Li with discontented looks.

"Well, what about water? How did you get them?" Natsu groaned.

"Oh, we collect them from the vines. Of course, we made sure the liquid that comes out from them are clear fluid. That's how we know that they aren't poisonous." Mei Li said. Natsu and Happy sigh in relief. "But sometimes, we do drink the blood of the lizards we killed-" Immediately, Natsu and Happy turn back to the tree and throw out their contents onto its roots again.

"Oh come on! Not again!" Darren yelled at them as he stomps his foot.

"I should have kept my mouth shut." Mei Li lowers her head as she felt a huge sense of guilt.

Libra sighs heavily as she shakes her head. "If only Yukino is here, she would know how to deal with this." She said.

"I guess humans really do eat like animals." Aries commented as she contemplates what Mei Li had said.

"If you guys really are starving, why don't you eat the flowers on the tree rather than throwing your vomit on it?" Sting asked. Natsu and Happy instantly brought their hurling to a halt and look up at the tree before them. They soon realized that the tree has the same large flowers with blue and purple petals growing on its branches.

"Actually, why didn't I think about that?!" Natsu yelled enthusiastically with a wide grin.

"Yeah!" Happy cheered.

"Wait, you're seriously thinking of eating it?!" Darren cried incredulously.

"Come to think of it, I've always thought they look like sunflowers or chrysanthemums." Mei Li said, placing a finger on her chin. "I wonder if you can make tea out of them?"

"Let's find out then!" Natsu shouted as he jumps and latches onto the tree trunk, preparing to climb up to the branches to grab one of the flowers.

"You got it!" Happy said in agreement as he spreads out his wings and prepare to fly up.

"Hold it right there!"

Everybody turned their heads to the direction of the voice. They gasped upon seeing Road standing in the distance while holding onto Lero in her hands.

"It's you!" Sting yelled furiously as he, Aries and Libra quickly get into their fighting stances. Darren draws out his katana and prepares to fight while Mei Li hides behind Libra. Natsu growls at Road and Lero as he gets off the tree.

"Where's Lucy and the others?!" Happy demanded angrily as he and Natsu get into their fighting stances as well. Road remains silent as she looks around her surroundings, noticing that there are two large flowers on the branches of the tree beside Happy and Natsu, and two more on the trunk of the tree beside Sting, Darren, Aries, Libra and Mei Li on the left. Road narrows her eyes at them as the girl crouches and holds out her right hand.

"You want to fight?! Fine!" Natsu shouted. He and Happy yell as they run and fly over to Road and Lero. Natsu is the first one to reach them as he tries to throw a punch at Road. But Road swiftly dodges his attack by leaping into the air and over to the tree. As she lands on top of the branch where one of the flowers are, Happy flies over to Natsu's back and wraps his tail around his body. Happy flies over to where Road is and Natsu throws his fist back, preparing to deliver another punch at her.

When Natsu and Happy are near her, Road jumps out of the way again and the Fire Dragon Slayer ends up throwing his fist at the flower instead. The flower bursts into goo as Natsu's fist lands right into its centre.

"Aw man!" Natsu whined as he removes his fist. He and Happy look disgusted as they see his fist covered with yellowish goo.

Road lands onto the other branch where the other flower is growing on and Sting leaps over to her. As Sting stretches his leg out, preparing to deliver a kick at her, Road made a huge leap into air which causes the branch of the tree to break. As Sting flies through where Road is originally at, he cries and waves his arms frantically with his eyes wide as he falls back down onto the ground. As the branch lands on the ground with a hard thud, the flower crashes underneath it.

When Road lands right in front of Darren, he quickly runs over and swings his katana diagonally at her. Road dodges it by rolling over the ground before getting up and running over to the tree in front of her that has two flowers growing on its trunk. When she reaches the tree, Road turns around and sees Darren running over to her, preparing to deliver another swing of his katana.

As Darren swings his katana horizontally at her, Road ducks down to dodge the attack and he ends up slashing the top flower on the tree trunk. Darren quickly delivers another swing of his katana, this time vertically down at Road. Road rolls out of the way and Darren ends up slashing down the bottom flower that was behind her.

Road runs back to the centre of the area where Natsu, Happy, Sting, Aries, Libra and Mei Li quickly surround her.

"Give it up!" Darren yelled at Road as he runs over and completes the circle around her and Lero. "Now tell us where our friends are, and you won't get hurt!"

Suddenly, much to everyone's surprise, Road stands up straight and holds up her hand and Lero.

"It's alright. We won't fight you." Road said calmly to everyone around them.

"We come in peace now, Lero!" Lero added.

"Give us a good reason why we should trust you!" Natsu yelled furiously as he tightens his fists.

"Did you even notice that we never fought back?" Road replied. Everyone around her and Lero momentarily stayed silent as they contemplate.

"She's right. All she ever did was dodge our attacks." Darren said in realization.

"Then again, it could be a trap!" Sting warned as he narrows his eyes and gets back into his fighting stance.

"What if I were to tell you that those flowers on the tree that your friend was about to eat were how my master is able to know your locations?" Road said.

"What do you mean?" Natsu arches an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you have seen them nearly everywhere in this forest." Road said, gesturing them to the last two flowers Darren had slashed with his weapon. "These artificial flowers you see on the trees? They were actually created by my master, who views himself as the ruler of this forest. By flowing his magic throughout the forest and creating many of these flowers everywhere, he can detect the presence of anybody who enters his territory whenever they pass by them."

"Also, thank goodness we stop you guys in time from eating these flowers." Lero added.

"Why's that?" Happy asked.

"If you were to have consume their petals and pollen, your internal organs would have been severely damaged and turn into goo, Lero!" Lero explained. Natsu and Happy stare at him for a moment before the two turn away from him and vomit onto the tree's roots again.

"Are you kidding me?!" Darren shouted exasperatedly at them.

"WHAT'S WRONG?! ALL I DID WAS TOLD THE TRUTH, LERO!" Lero cried woefully.

"Classy." Road deadpanned as she stares blankly at Natsu and Happy. After they finished throwing out their vomit, Natsu and Happy turn back to Road and Lero and walk over to them.

"Gee, thanks for telling us that." Happy said queasily as he and Natsu rub their chests.

"So by destroying more of these flowers, your master won't be able to find us at all?" Natsu asked with his face looking pale.

"That's right. But not only that, my master is aware of the existence of Dragon Slayers. So in case any Dragon Slayer were to enter his territory, the pollen from these flowers help remove their magic. Being capable of creating such flowers shows just how powerful my master really is." Road explained.

"Seriously?!" Natsu cried as he, Sting and the others look back at Road in shock.

"What's wrong?" Road said in confusion. Natsu snaps his fingers and a small ray of fire magically appears at his fingertips.

"HA HA! My Fire Dragon Slayer magic! It's back!" Natsu shouted enthusiastically with a wide grin. "I could only feel a tiny bit of it inside me, but it has returned!"

"Unbelievable. So you are a Dragon Slayer." Road uttered as she and Lero stare at Natsu in awe.

"That is amazing!" Mei Li said in astonishment as she witnesses Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer magic for the first time. Sting holds out his hand and manages to form a small bright orb of white light, which brings a smile to his face.

"I got back a little bit of my White Dragon Slayer magic too!" Sting said happily.

"So if we take out more of these flowers, not only will your master not be able to detect us, but we can also get back our magic! Alright!" Natsu shouted in joy as he puts out the fire from his fingertips before lowering his hand.

"That's why you made us destroy those flowers." Darren said as Natsu and Sting look back at Road and Lero.

"And I also intentionally made it look like I was engaging you all in a fight so that my master won't suspect that I'm now on your side before you destroy them." Road explained. Natsu and Sting bow to her and Lero with gratitude.

"Thank you for your help, Road and Lero." Natsu said.

Lero sniffed and replied with small tears of joy in his eyes, "You're welcome, Lero!"

"How is your master able to do this? By removing Dragon Slayer magic with these flowers?" Darren asked.

"Well, if you are a Dragon Slayer, you would also know how to defeat one." Road replied, placing her hand at the right side of her hip. Natsu, Sting, Darren, Happy, Mei Li, Aries and Libra gasped.

"You mean…" Natsu said in awe.

"That's right." Road nodded. "My master is a Nature Dragon Slayer."

"And he despises all humans because of what the people of Petunia did to him two years ago." Lero whimpered.

"The Tartaros Incident." Sting said solemnly.

"What?" Mei Li asked as she looked at the White Dragon Slayer.

"Long story." Darren said to her.

"Even if that's the case, he can't just take away our friends when we have done nothing to him!" Natsu yelled as he stomps his foot and clutches his fists tightly.

"If you wish to rescue your friends, we can take you there." Road said to Natsu and his friends as she removes her hand from her hip while Lero nods his head. "As we walk through this forest, we got to look out for any of those flowers and destroy them."

Lero gulped. "Miss a single one and not only will our master find you, but also punish us for treason!"

"We'll be careful then." Sting said with a nod.

"Earlier you two were fighting us. Now you are lending us your assistance. Why?" Darren asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

Road's eyes softened as she responded to him, "To repay what your friend did for us."

* * *

 **Sovereign64: I would like to thank Amanny and AquaBluey for reviewing, Mummy1365 for favoriting and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for helping me with Amelia's dialogue. Thanks everyone!**

Chapter Revised on 9th March 2020


	28. Bonds, Part 4

_**Bonds, Part 4**_

After pushing Lucy, Yukino, Alicia, Amelia, Jason and Yegor into a small cavern, C.C. Tokoyami and Archer step out of it and several large vines emerge from the ground. The vines serve as bars that enclosed the cavern, turning it into a makeshift prison for Lucy and the others.

"C.C., stay here and keep an eye on the prisoners." Tokoyami said to her.

"Yes." C.C. responded as she nods her head. Archer and Tokoyami turn to the direction of Mala's location and run off while C.C. places herself beside the entrance of the cavern with her arms folded.

After gazing at C.C. for a few seconds, Yukino turns around and whispered to the other prisoners as she walks her way to the back of the cavern, "Follow me."

Lucy, Alicia and Amelia obliged and follow Yukino from behind. But Jason and Yegor however choose not to mingle with their enemies and they go over to the side of the cavern and sat down against the wall instead. When the four girls reach the very end of the cavern, they sat down and huddle in a circle. Yukino looks over her shoulder for a moment to make sure C.C. is still standing at the side of the cavern with her back facing them.

"Alright. Let's start planning on how to get ourselves out of here." Yukino said softly as she looks back at the other girls.

"No duh, ya drongos! Any of you got any bright ideas?" Amelia asked everyone around her in annoyance. Her eyes soon land on Lucy who seemingly looked like she is staring into space. "What are you looking at?!"

"Oh, I was staring at C.C." Lucy replied to Amelia.

"Well quit doing that! We have other important things to attend to, ya know?!" Amelia said irritably.

"Actually, I was wondering if we can negotiate with C.C." Lucy said.

"Huh? Why?" Amelia asked with an arched eyebrow. "Has it flown over your head that she and her mates were the ones who kidnapped us?!"

"But do you remember when Laurent said that C.C. was unwilling to fight against Mei Li even though she was completely defenceless?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. Not only I get knocked out cold by that woman, but that wuss Mei Li was too flat out being scared that she bailed on us over trying to save me! Tch, what a day!" Amelia scoffed as she rolls her eyes. Alicia and Lucy frowned at her.

"As I was saying, that would mean she isn't completely loyal towards Laurent than we think. That's why I believe she can be negotiated with." Lucy said.

"Not to mention, we also need to understand why she is working for Laurent." Alicia added. "Both C.C. and Archer are humans and yet their master hates their kind."

"True." Yukino nodded in agreement. "We have to know why he would spare their lives and why are they working for him."

"And also, we need to know how they are able to find our location in the first place. Perhaps C.C. will provide us the answer." Lucy said.

"Hello! We can play _The Tonight Show with Hizashi Yamada_ some other time! But do you seriously think that it is so easy to escape from here just by negotiating one of our kidnappers, which would be a 50-50 chance that she will cooperate anyway?! Wake the hell up!" Amelia cried irritably.

"Will you calm down, Amelia?" Alicia chided. "Thinking negatively isn't going to-"

"Oh great! There you go!" Amelia rolls her eyes back as she throws her hands into the air. She clasps her hands together as she imitates Alicia's voice. "Lecturing and taking lead in that sweet charming voice of yours."

"Why are you so irritable?!" Alicia cried in annoyance.

"Our lives are on the line, that's why!" Amelia barked at her. "So how the hell can we be calm?"

"What is wrong with you, Amelia?!" Alicia argued. "You seem to act like this even when we are trying to help you and having a normal conversation with each other. Why do you have a problem with everything?!"

"Because everything in reality is never what you want it to be!" Amelia responded.

"What makes you think that way?! Why do you always think of the bad stuff instead of trying to find the positives?! Do you think everything in your life is so hard and painful?!" Alicia asked.

"I just…I…" As if Alicia's last question had struck her with great force, Amelia breathed heavily as her anger and frustration is starting to die down. "I'm just not like you! You think I'm worthy of having friends, and capable of doing anything like any of you?! You all have teammates working alongside each other! Alicia knows how to navigate through a forest while Lucy and Yukino know how to fight with magic! But me?! I…I just don't know what to do out here!"

Amelia slams her fists on the ground as she finally broke down into tears and sobbed in front of the girls.

"Amelia…" Alicia uttered in concern as she, Lucy and Yukino stare wordlessly at her.

"You r-reminded me of all the popular girls back in my p-primary school, Alicia. The ones who can attract friends b-because they are s-smart…rich…strong and beautiful. B-But they are also the ones who ruined my life." Amelia whimpered as tears kept rolling down her cheeks. "D-During my first year in primary school, I was a-alone, frightened, and wasn't g-good in playing sports and doing arts and crafts. But…there was another girl…in my class…who is j-just like me, and we decided to become mates s-so that we have someone in our lives to rely on. I was so happy back then…because I f-felt like she m-made my life so much better. But when we entered Year 6, there was a rich and smart girl in our class who would bully us…because of what we are." Amelia sniffed for a moment. Unbeknownst to the girls, Jason and Yegor are listening to her as well as they watch them.

"And one day…not wanting to be a victim any longer, my friend for 5 years…suddenly ditched me and become that girl's friend instead!" Amelia cried angrily. "She joined them in bullying me and making my life miserable, just to make hers more comfortable!" Amelia paused again as she closes her eyes, allowing more tears to cascade down her cheeks. "I felt betrayed and heartbroken, realizing that our friendship actually meant nothing to her during all those years. And when I try to tell my parents and teachers about it, they just don't care because they are too busy with their work." After wiping away her tears, Amelia looks back up at Alicia, Lucy and Yukino with puffy red eyes. "That was when I started hating everybody around me. My former friend made me feel like everybody in the world is my enemy, and that whoever tries to be my mate is only going to use me as a tool. So when I entered secondary school, I became a jerk, making use of my family's fortune and good grades as a way to prevent people from being my friend, and mock others who are poorer and unpopular than me. And…I enjoyed it. I knew I was acting like a wanker, but I can't help it. I thought it is the only way to make people fear and respect me. But now…when I'm out here in the wild, in a place outside of my comfort zone, all my negative thoughts about myself came back to me! I am completely hopeless all over again!" Amelia finished by letting out a miserable wail.

"Amelia, I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Alicia said softly to Amelia as she continues to cry. After managing to bring her sobs to a halt, Amelia sniffed again as she removes her glasses and wipes away her tears.

"Mei Li is the only person I can rely on when I first arrived here." Amelia whimpered as she puts her glasses back on. "She cares for me so much…something I've never experienced before in my life. And yet, I distanced myself from her by continuing to act like a smeg-head. And when I see and hear Mei Li interacting with all of you, it felt like history is repeating itself again. Seeing you guys working together alongside Sting, Natsu, Darren and Happy made me feel so jealous of all of you…because I've never had a friend who actually cares and understands me…and would never go out of their way to turn their back on me. Even now, I'm still the odd one out." Amelia paused for a moment to suppress a harsh sob trying to escape from her throat. "I'm…I'm just sick and tired of all of this…I just want to go home to Australia."

Lucy sighed inwardly and said comfortingly, "I know how you feel, Amelia."

"W-what?" Amelia croaked as she looks up at Lucy with tearstained eyes.

"Sometimes, I do think I'm the odd one out within Team Natsu." Lucy said. "Natsu and Wendy had Dragon Slayer magic, Happy and Carla provide so much support for them despite the risks, and Gray and Erza are such amazing fighters. I on the other hand, am the mage who is mostly known for her good looks. I don't fight as well as the others and I'm only capable of casting magic with Celestial keys. I am also the one who usually gets kidnapped, the only member of Team Natsu who lost all her fights in the Grand Magic Games and have the lamest name for an attack ever. I can never live up to the expectations of everyone around me. But you know who else also can't? Everybody else in Fairy Tail. They made me realize that no matter how strong and powerful you are, you will always have flaws. Natsu knows he is less civilized and intelligible than the other members of Fairy Tail, but he still lives his life happily because he fully accepts that he isn't completely perfect. I've learnt to accept my flaws and weaknesses too, and so should you."

"Lucy." Alicia said as she and Yukino smiled at her.

Lucy places her hand on Amelia's shoulder and said to her soothingly, "So stop thinking negatively about yourself. Stop acting like a hothead and start learning to work with others again. We all want to go home too. So wouldn't it be easier if we work together?"

Amelia stares silently at Lucy for a moment before she places her hand on top of hers and replied, "I never thought you were that bad of a mage, Lucy."

"And I never thought you were that bad of a person, Amelia." Lucy flashes a smirk at her. Amelia chuckled and smiles back at her.

"Thank you." She said to her.

"Guys?"

Lucy, Alicia, Amelia and Yukino turn their heads as soon as they heard Jason's voice. They see him and Yegor walking towards them.

"Did you just mention Australia?" Jason asked.

"Y-Yes, I did." Amelia replied.

"Australia…" Jason uttered. "That happens to be a country…back in our world." The girls gasped.

"Where are you from?" Alicia asked. "I'm from New Zealand."

"I'm from Alaska. Ya know? The US State above the lower 48? And Yegor here is from Saint Petersburg, Russia." Jason replied while Yegor silently nods to the girls.

"You guys…you're from the same world as ours!" Amelia said in astonishment with her eyes widened.

"So you two are unfortunate enough to be captured by the Abbey first before we could reach you." Lucy said.

"Wait, what?" Yukino asked Lucy, startled by what she said.

"These praetors we were fighting all along. Some of them were the magicless people who have been appearing all over Fiore. Others were from towns conquered by the Abbey." Lucy explained to her.

"I didn't know." Yukino said in awe.

"So that's why you guys were after me and Mei Li." Amelia said to Jason and Yegor.

"At the time, we all thought our goal in life is to restore peace to Fiore by eliminating the guilds and the current Magic Council. But one day, during a live-fire exercise, me, Jason and the rest of our expedition were hit in the heads by the opposing team. That was when we suddenly remembered our respective hometowns." Yegor said.

"I'm from America, Yegor is from Russia, our squad leader Brenda is from Germany, you get the idea." Jason said. "We all couldn't recognize the world we are currently in, so our previous squad leader tried questioning our superiors on where we are and how do we end up here. But we never see him again afterwards."

"That is when we decided to stay quiet and continue serving the Abbey, hoping that if we're able to win the war, we can all go home. But now, we realize that we aren't the only ones from Earth who are stranded here." Yegor said.

"I would advise you to defect the Abbey right now while you still can. They cannot be trusted." Alicia said to them.

"Trust us, we know." Lucy said solemnly.

"So will you guys switch sides and join forces with us? We promise, when we get out of this situation, we'll take you to the Magic Council where they will keep you safe until we defeat the Abbey and find a way to bring you all home." Yukino said before extending a hand to Jason and Yegor. The two men glance at each other and nod their heads.

"We're happy to join you." Yegor said as he and Jason smile at Yukino. He grabs her hand and the two gave each other a handshake. After releasing each other's hands, Yukino glances at C.C., who is still standing beside the entrance of the cavern, before looking back at the other girls.

"Alright. Let's try to talk to her." Yukino said.

* * *

Natsu yells furiously as he throws a punch at Road, who swiftly dodges the attack by moving to the side. Natsu's fist ended up punching through the centre of the flower that was behind her. After grabbing onto its centre, Natsu pulls the flower out from the trunk of the tree and throws it onto the ground.

"That's another one down." Road said as Natsu wipes off the goo from his hand.

"No more flowers around this perimeter too, Lero." Lero said as he and Road looked around.

"Then let's keep moving." Road said.

"How much longer do we have to do this?!" Natsu yelled in frustration as he stomps his foot. "If we don't hurry, Lucy and the others should become mindless servants to Laurent right now!"

"Calm down, Natsu!" Sting chided.

"How can I when time isn't on our side?!" Natsu yelled back at him.

"Natsu!" Darren shouted at him, getting the Fire Dragon Slayer's attention. "We all care about the others too. But we still need to be careful as we make our way there. It's better to rescue them stealthily rather than getting caught ourselves."

"I know that!" Natsu responded to him angrily. He took a moment to take a deep breath to calm himself down. "I just don't want anything horrible to happen to Lucy. She is the closest person I ever had in my life since the day I thought Lisanna died. I still remember how heartbroken I was when I thought we lost a friend of ours. How much I regret not tagging along with her and her siblings even when her older brother stop me from doing so." Natsu clenches his fists and glares at Darren. "I will not let that happen to me all over again."

"I want to save the others too. Because ever since the day I lost Wahid and my father, you guys have become the closest people I ever had in my life. You…Lucy…Alicia…Sheena…all of you…you all make me feel whole again." Darren said solemnly and he holds out his hand to Natsu. "I will never again do anything stupid to the ones I care the most."

Natsu grabs Darren's hand and the two of them nod their heads as they stare boldly at each other. Road gazes at the both of them in silence.

"Road?" Lero asked her concernedly. Road shakes her head as she snaps out of her thoughts.

"If you guys are done talking, we have to keep moving." Road said to Darren and Natsu.

"Right." Natsu said as he and Darren turn to her. Road turns around and continues walking through the forest while the others follow her from behind.

"How are you able to navigate your way through the forest? When we try to do it, we feel like we are just wandering aimlessly or returning to the same spot we originally came from." Darren inquired.

"My master creates an invisible dome all over the West Forest." Road explained. "It's hard to describe but let's say that you think you know the right way to get out of this forest. But as you keep going towards that certain direction, the magic created from the dome turns the area into an endless labyrinth, giving you the illusion that there is no end in sight. Sometimes, it even takes you back to the same spot that you have already been in without making you even realizing it."

"So that's why no matter how far I fly, I could never find the boundaries of the forest." Happy said.

"That's right, Lero!" Lero replied to him.

"So basically, once we're in this forest, we are stuck here forever." Sting said.

"Until you take out the one responsible for creating this dome in the first place, yes." Road said. "Fortunately, the magic doesn't affect me, a loyal servant to Laurent, so I am able to navigate through this forest for all of you." Darren, Natsu, Happy, Sting, Aries and Libra turn their heads to Mei Li when they heard her shivering.

"Trying to comprehend all of that makes me feel like I'm in some sort of horror film." Mei Li said timidly. "I guess despite how overprotective my parents are, they're still right about one thing. The outside world can be pretty scary."

"Get used to it, Mei Li." Sting said to her.

"But, I'm glad that I'm not alone right now." Mei Li said, looking up at her friends with a small smile on her face. As Darren, Natsu, Happy, Sting, Aries and Libra smile back at her, Road's face however distorts into a disheartened frown as she kept walking and looking forward.

* * *

C.C. lets out a yawn as she leans against the side of the cavern with her arms folded. She kept staring at the clouds without a care in the world. But her moment of silence is finally interrupted when Amelia walks up to the vines and whispers to her.

"Psst! Oi mate! Over here!"

C.C. turns to her left to see Amelia giving her a forced smile as she slides her arm through the vines and waves her hand at her. C.C. groans as she gets off from the wall and looks back at Amelia. As she does, she also noticed Alicia, Lucy, Yukino, Jason and Yegor walking up to Amelia from behind.

"What is it?" C.C. asked flatly.

"Ya know, that Laurent bloke really treated you poorly back there, didn't he? So, we were wondering, why don't you stop working yourself for a jerk like him and help set us free?" Amelia asked. C.C. snorted in response.

"You seriously think I'll listen to you within an instant?" C.C. said with a sly grin as she snaps her fingers. Her face quickly distorts into a scowl and she said coldly to them, "Dream on. I vow to my master that I will serve him until the day I die and I'm sticking with it."

"Why do you serve him in the first place?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, I mean you're a human and your master clearly states that he hates your kind. So how did you and your silver-haired mate end up working for him?" Amelia asked.

"It is something that I'm not allowed to share with you and it's none of your concern." C.C. replied icily.

"Do you even hear what your master is planning to do with us? Not only does he want to brainwash us, but also invade the town of Petunia. Hundreds of innocent humans will either die or become homeless!" Yukino cried.

"You think I don't know? I originally came from that town too. Just like my master, I was treated by the people over there as trash. But within time, they will get what they deserve." C.C. said.

"I don't know what happened in the past that made the people of Petunia turn you into a wreck. But invading the town will only justify what they did to you. You got to be better than that." Alicia said sternly to her.

"Damn right I'm better than them!" C.C. snapped at her. "I'm not someone who made fun of others just because the only type of magic they're good at is making people go to sleep. But Laurent accepted me and the others when we were all rejected by society."

"And for what end? To kill innocent civilians alongside him?" Lucy scolded.

"How is anybody in that town innocent?" C.C. hissed at her.

"I know you want to get back on the people who mocked you, but you can't get other people who weren't responsible for what happen to you get involved in this." Alicia said.

"Then I'll…" C.C. paused for a moment to think. "I'll just exterminate the ones who don't deserve to live!"

"But your master doesn't seem like he will spare anyone regardless if they are innocent or not." Yukino quickly replied. "Regardless of who you kill, you'll still be responsible for their deaths because you willingly worked for him."

"Also, your master punished you when you refused to attack my friend who is unable to fight back at the time. Surely, he will punish you again when he realizes you didn't kill as many people as you can. Who knows? Maybe this time he will really get rid of you since we won't be around to help you anymore." Amelia said, rubbing her chin with a smirk on her face.

C.C. stared at the girls dumbfounded. "I…I…" She struggled to find a response.

"I know you won't commit murder, C.C. Unlike your master or the people who mocked you, you have a moral compass. Show them that you're stronger." Lucy said.

C.C. looks down at her hands and ponders for a moment. "You're right. I don't ever want to get my hands dirtied." She said before looking back at the prisoners. "But if we turn our backs on Laurent now, where can we go?"

"That is for you to decide on your own." Lucy said. "But consider this, if Laurent were to fulfil his purpose in destroying Petunia, where will all of you go from there?"

C.C. remains silent to contemplate again. "Nowhere. Judging by his hatred for humans and the way he treated the soldiers we have captured; he will probably disregard me and Archer after he retakes his former home. I ran away from Petunia because I was humiliated by its people. I doubt Laurent will give me a better treatment than that." She replied. "Now stand back."

After the prisoners did what she said, C.C. closes her eyes and places her hands on the vines. The vines move back down into the holes they originally emerge from, reopening the cavern for everyone to get out.

"We did it." Yukino said as she and the other prisoners smile.

"Holy mother of God." Amelia uttered as she adjusts her glasses.

"I still don't know about this…but I trust you all enough." C.C. said to Lucy and the others. Yukino walks up to her and places her hand on her shoulder.

"Trust us. You did the right thing." Yukino said.

"Wow. These girls just did what no politician could ever do back in our world." Yegor commented as he and Jason look at each other.

"Yeah." Jason chuckled. "If only our world has more people like them."

* * *

After collapsing onto the ground, Tokoyami yells in pain as Tal stomps his foot on top of the side of his head and pins him down. Nearby, Archer groans as he struggles to get up from the ground while Mala stood in front of him, clenching onto his double-sided naginata.

Brenda and Hodaka stood nearby, staring at the display in awe. Both praetors didn't even land a single hit on Archer and Tokoyami throughout the fight as Mala and Tal did most of it by themselves. While their previous fight with Archer and Tokoyami felt like a battle for survival, their latest couldn't be categorized as one when they had their superiors on their side.

"T-That's…impossible…" Archer coughed. "You're as fast as me?" Mala briefly kneels down, grabs Archer by the metal plate on his collar and roughly pulls him up to his level.

"You never should have underestimate the Abbey." Mala said coldly at Archer, who gasps in pain as the praetor tightens his grip around his collar. "Now…tell us where you have taken the girls with blonde hair."

Archer glances at Tokoyami who is groaning in pain as Tal adds more pressure to his foot on top of his head. The man looks back at Mala and grits his teeth. He didn't want to tell Mala the location of his master. He would rather die than give away any information to his enemy, and after failing to protect the lives of his fellow Mizuhans, death is the appropriate punishment for him. But…Tokoyami doesn't deserve to die. He is only 19 years old and still have so much to live for. And unlike him, he didn't cost the lives of any civilians prior to becoming a servant of Laurent. If he remains silent, Tokoyami will die due to his arrogance and selfishness.

Archer closes his eyes and pursed his lips. He couldn't believe he is doing this. First, he couldn't protect the lives of his fellow Mizuhans, and now he couldn't protect his new master. He hated himself for being a failure once again.

"Alright. I'll tell you…and show you the way."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey, Amanny and Shaula78 for reviewing and following, and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story and helping me out with Amelia's dialogue. Thanks!**

Chapter Revised on 6th March 2020


	29. Bonds, Part 5

_**Bonds, Part 5**_

As she crouched, C.C. quietly sneaks her way over to the side of one of Laurent's flowers growing on the trunk of a tree. When she got near it, C.C. reaches out her hand and taps her finger on its pedal, causing the flower to close itself up.

"The coast is clear." C.C. said as she turns her head to some nearby bushes. Lucy, Yukino, Alicia, Amelia, Jason and Yegor slowly come out from their hiding place and quietly walk over to her.

"To think these beautiful flowers were actually how Laurent detected our presence within his territory in the first place." Alicia said frowning. "Guess I can forget about staying in this forest forever after all."

"Please, don't even think about it." Amelia said to her.

C.C. looks around her surroundings before she gets up and escorts everyone over to where they have stored their confiscated weapons.

"You guys asked me earlier why I served Laurent in the first place." C.C. said as they walk quietly together.

"Yes." Yukino nodded.

"Like I said before, everybody back in Petunia mocked me for only having the magical ability to put people to sleep. And I lied. I didn't run away. I said that because…" C.C. paused as she stops at her tracks. As the others stood behind her, C.C. frowns as she curls her hands into tight fists. "The truth…is far more painful."

Lucy walks up to C.C. from behind and places her hand on her shoulder. "It's alright." She said softly to her. C.C. takes a gulp before she finally musters enough courage to continue.

"One day, while I was drowning in depression at the bar, I met someone whom I would later consider him to be my boyfriend. We had frequent conversations with each other, and he cheered me up. He made me forget about the mocking and negativity I received from the townspeople every day. He helped me find my happiness again. But it didn't last long. One night, he requested me to follow him somewhere far away from Petunia, and so I obeyed him. We ended up in the West Forest…and that's where…" C.C. wraps her arms around her own body. "He attempted to rape me." Lucy, Yukino, Alicia, Amelia, Jason and Yegor gasp in shock. "I'll never forget the smile on his face when he admitted to me that he never truly sees me as his friend, and that I was a fool for ever trusting him. He was just like the rest of them."

' _She's just like me.'_ Amelia thought with a frown.

"But just before he could place my finger on my forehead, attempting to put me to sleep so that he can violate my body, some vines emerge from the ground and coil around his neck." C.C. continued after she lowered her arms and fought back the urge to cry. "And I laid there, watching the vines strangle my former boyfriend to death. That was when I met him. Laurent saved my life. But soon after, he tried to kill me too because like my former boyfriend, I am a human who intruded into his territory. I begged for mercy right in front of him. Pleading him not to kill me and that I'll do anything to repay him for what he did. That is how I became his servant ever since, and how I joined the likes of Archer, Tokoyami and Road. One is a runaway warrior who felt humiliated after failing to save the lives of his fellow Mizuhans during an invasion of his hometown. The other was betrayed by his lover after the Tartaros Incident. And the last was blamed for the deaths of her demi father and her human mother by her relatives. We were all seen as trash by the outside world, and we had no choice but to follow our new master." C.C. finally closes her eyelids, allowing her tears roll down her cheeks like tiny rivers.

Everybody remains silent for a few moments before Lucy removes her hand from C.C.'s shoulder and grabs her hand as she stood beside her.

"C.C….I promise you and your friends, that after all of you are willing to defect from your master, we at Fairy Tail will provide you all a place to stay." Lucy said soothingly to her. C.C. wipes away her tears and turns her head to Lucy.

"You will?" C.C. asked. Lucy nods her head with a warm smile. She frowns at her and said flatly, "You better be right."

"I am." Lucy replied solemnly. C.C. briefly stares at her before she removes her hand from Lucy's grip and continued walking.

"This way." C.C. said. Lucy and the others follow her from behind.

About a few minutes later and closing a few more of Laurent's flowers along the way, everyone arrived at a tree that has vines wrapped around its trunk. C.C. places her finger on the vines and they move out of the way, revealing a hollow compartment inside the trunk. They noticed Lucy's belt and whip, Alicia's pouch and Celestial Spirit keys belonging to Lucy and Yukino are stored inside.

"Take them." C.C. moves aside to allow Lucy, Yukino and Alicia to grab their belongings. When Alicia grabs her pouch, she opens the cover to reveal her yo-yos and the Orb of Heart inside it. After storing her keys and whip onto the belt around her skirt, Lucy turns her head to Alicia.

"The Orb of Heart." Lucy said, staring at the circular object inside her friend's pouch.

"What?" Yukino asked.

"I heard it's the special object that Captain Nullpudding and his expedition were trying to retrieve from a city known as Loegres." Jason said.

"You're right." Alicia responded to him. "But we ended up taking it from them first."

"So they failed their mission after all." Yegor said. "Is this why the Captain didn't return to HQ? Because it was out of shame?"

"Actually, we were the ones who defeated and apprehended him too." Lucy said, scratching the back of her head. Amelia widens her eyes at her.

"Since then, this thing has protected me from the praetors when we were attacked by them at the river earlier today. And so far, it seems it only works when I have possession of it." Alicia said.

"What could you all have been doing for the past two months?" Amelia asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Long story." Alicia replied, closing the cover of her pouch after grabbing her yo-yos. "What's more important now is getting out of here."

"Laurent won't be happy that the vines of your prison were temporarily opened." C.C. said as Alicia places the strap of her pouch over her shoulder. "So here's the plan. I'll report to my master that one of you has changed your mind and is willing to serve Laurent as his servant rather than one of his mindless pawns in order to keep your own free will. And when we are near him enough, I'll use my magic to put him to sleep."

"Remember, if things go wrong, we'll come in to help you right away." Yukino said.

"So, who will volunteer to come with me?" C.C. asked.

"I'll go." Alicia said. But before she could step forward, Amelia holds out her arm in front of her.

"No. I'll do it." Amelia said solemnly.

"What? Are you sure?" Alicia asked concernedly.

"Hey." Amelia turns to her. "I haven't been quite the helper lately. So for once, let me do something productive, ya?"

Alicia nods her head and replied, "Very well then."

"I…" Amelia briefly lowers her head as her cheeks blush. "I am um…" She paused again as she adjusts her glasses. But when she is finally able to overcome her embarrassment, she takes a deep breath and looked at Alicia in the eye. "I'm sorry for the way I behaved."

Alicia smiled at her and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "It's fine. Be careful out there." She said.

Amelia smiles back at her briefly before she walks over to C.C. The lime green haired woman gently turns Amelia around and place her arms behind her back. As she clenches her arms tightly, C.C. turns herself and Amelia around and the two make their way to Laurent.

* * *

C.C. escorts Amelia over to the gigantic pile of vines. When they are near it, a huge flower bud emerges from the top of the pile and opens it to reveal Laurent. The two girls came to a halt as Laurent steps out of the bud and looks down at them.

"C.C., I sensed that the vines from the cavern were taken down. What happened?" Laurent demanded.

"I temporarily took them down, master." C.C. explained calmly while Amelia gave Laurent a fearful look to convince the demihuman that she is willing to submit herself to him. "Apparently, one of our hostages has a proposal for you. Rather than making her a mindless soldier like what you did with the others, she wants to become your servant in order to keep her free will."

"Please sir! I'll do anything for you!" Amelia pleaded. "Just spare my consciousness! Go ahead and do whatever you want with the others. They are all too slow in the head to understand their plight! But me, I'm not like them! I know we can never have a chance against you and-"

"I get it." Laurent rolls his eyes. "What skills can you provide for me?"

"I'll..." Amelia paused to think for a moment. "I'm not too great in punch ups, so I'm not too great at fighting...So maybe have two of your servants train me on how to become one. I can even do your laundry or clean your dunny in the meantime and...um...is that okay?" She flashes a nervous grin at Laurent.

Laurent gazed silently at Amelia for a moment. "We'll think of something. C.C., bring her over here."

C.C. gave a rough push to Amelia and they begin climbing up the pile of vines. They make their way over to Laurent and stood in front of him.

"What is your full name?" Laurent inquired Amelia.

"Amelia Greenleaf." Amelia responded.

"Amelia Greenleaf…do you vow to pledge your loyalty to me?" Laurent asked sternly.

Amelia holds up her hand and nods her head solemnly. "Aye."

"Will you obey my every command?"

"I do."

"And will you destroy all those that stand in my way?"

"I do."

Laurent places his hands behind his back and said, "Then Amelia Greenleaf…I shall accept you…"

C.C. narrows her eyes as she slowly raises her right arm, preparing to push Amelia aside and deliver her strike on Laurent as her master is about to finish his final sentence. However, she failed to notice her master slowly raising his tail behind his back.

"Not." Laurent grits his teeth furiously as he swings his tail to the side like a whip and a vine swiftly flies over to C.C.'s right arm and wraps itself around it. C.C. gasped as the vine tightens its grip around her and gave her a hard pull, sending her falling onto the ground on her face.

"C.C.!" Amelia cried in horror as she turned and looked down at her. Laurent takes the opportunity to deliver a hard kick to the left side of her torso, causing her to yelp and send her rolling down the pile of vines and to the bottom. As soon as Amelia finds herself lying at the bottom on her back, several vines emerge from the ground below her and wrap themselves around her arms and legs to pin her down.

As C.C. lays on the ground and squeals in pain as the vine continues to squeeze her arm, Laurent walks over to her and stomps his foot on top of the side of her head.

"You seriously think I can never tell you two were trying to deceive me? I can smell your heart with my Dragon Slayer senses." Laurent said as he menacingly stood above her. "To think after I've shown you mercy by sparing your life, you now have the audacity to help our prisoners and turn your back on me after all this time."

"Ngh. These people are right. You never care about our well-being. Only your own ambitions." C.C. replied with agonizing pain. Laurent holds up his hand and snaps his fingers. What follows is a loud snapping sound.

C.C. lets out an agonized shriek that rang throughout the forest after the vine had squeezed her arm hard enough to break her bones.

"C.C.!" Amelia cried in horror as she writhed helplessly on the ground, struggling to break free from the vines around her limbs. As tears loosely pour out from her eyes, C.C. breathed heavily as she tries to comprehend the sheer amount of pain that is going through her body right now.

"I should congratulate you, C.C." Laurent said icily as he moves his tail over to her neck. "You are now officially just like every other human."

After catching her breath, C.C. lets out a chuckle and manages to crack a weak smile at him. "Doesn't matter. I'm already trash long before this." She sneered.

Laurent snarled at her as he coils his tail around her neck. C.C. choked with her eyes wide as Laurent tightens the grip of his tail, proceeding to deliver his former servant a slow and painful death.

"Arrogant swine…you will suffer!" Laurent roared.

"DESTRUCTIVE CIRCLE!"

Laurent briefly loosens his grip around C.C.'s neck as he turns his head to the left. He could briefly see Mala standing at the base of his pile of vines before a circular blast of wind collides with him. The blast caused him to stumble backwards and he soon finds himself rolling down the pile of vines.

Both C.C. and Amelia soon felt the vines loosen, releasing their limbs and returning back beneath the surface. Unable to get up because of her broken arm, C.C. rolls over to the side with a groan. When her back is on the ground, she turns her face to her right to see Mala, Tal, Brenda and Hodaka standing at the base of the pile of vines. But what surprised her the most is seeing Archer and Tokoyami kneeling in front of Mala with their hands placed on the back of their heads.

"Archer! Tokoyami!" C.C. shouted to her friends in shock.

"I'm sorry, C.C." Archer responded to her hoarsely.

"You said you brought the blonde-haired women here. So where are they?" Mala asked.

"Amelia! C.C.!" As soon as they heard Alicia's cry, Mala and the praetors turn to their left and see her, Lucy, Yukino, Jason and Yegor arriving at the area and make their way over to Amelia, who had already got back up on her feet.

"Jason? Yegor?" Brenda said as she and Hodaka widen their eyes in shock.

"They're alive!" Hodaka added.

"Alicia!" Amelia responded as she turns to Alicia and the others.

Mala turns back to Archer and Tokoyami and said to them, "Well, it looks like I'm done with you."

Without warning, Mala splits his double-bladed naginata into two separate swords and deliver two diagonal slashes onto the backs of Archer and Tokoyami.

"NOOOO!" C.C. screamed in horror as she helplessly watched her friends collapse on their faces. Lucy, Yukino, Alicia, Amelia, Jason, Yegor, Brenda and Hodaka all look equally horrified as they watch Mala takes down his enemies without mercy.

"D-Did Captain Makra just slash two people who were completely defenceless?" Jason uttered.

"Why?!" Yegor added with his eyes shaking.

Lucy and Alicia grit their teeth furiously at Mala. They and Yukino place themselves in front of Amelia, Jason and Yegor as they draw out their weapons.

"How could you do that?!" Lucy shouted angrily at Mala, who twirls his swords and point the tip of their blades downward at Archer and Tokoyami.

"And why should you care for them? They told me that they fought and kidnapped you. So if I were to eliminate them now, that will be less trouble for all of you." Mala said. "But here's the deal. If you truly care about their lives, lower your weapons now and surrender yourselves and the Orb of Heart to me. If you take one step towards us, or even lay a finger on the Orb, I will kill them."

Lucy, Alicia and Yukino frown as they stay silent and stand where they are. Unfortunately, they know that Mala is right. They are currently standing several meters away from Archer and Tokoyami, and as much as they want to help them, they won't be able to reach them before Mala delivers the final blow. Yukino briefly closes her eyes before turning her head to Lucy and Alicia.

"I suggest we do as he says." Yukino said. Lucy and Alicia nod their heads to her. As they look back at him, Lucy, Alicia and Yukino reluctantly put away their weapons and hold up their hands.

"Wise decision." Mala said to the girls before he turns his head to Brenda and Hodaka and gestures them to secure Lucy, Alicia, Yukino and Amelia. The two praetors nod to him before they walk over to Jason and Yegor.

"Jason, Yegor, take the pouch from her and grab hold of them." Brenda ordered them. Amelia anxiously looked at Jason and Yegor, fearing that the two will obey her despite having form an alliance with them earlier. Jason and Yegor glance at each other and nod their heads before the latter proceeds to walk over to Amelia.

"No! Don't!" Amelia cried in horror as Yegor roughly turns her around and grabs her arms. "Back-stabbing us after everything we went through?! You and your Abbey mates really are nothing but a bunch of lowlife assholes, aren't you?!"

Meanwhile, Jason walks over to Alicia and removes the pouch from over her shoulder.

"To think we ever place our trust in you. I'm disappointed." Alicia said to Jason morosely as he lowers her hands.

"Silence!" Brenda shouted at them as she and Hodaka go over to Lucy and Yukino from behind. The praetors grab hold of their arms and place them behind their backs.

"Let them go!" Amelia shouted furiously as she struggled to break free from Yegor's grip in vain.

Mala chuckled as he finally got Lucy and Alicia into a helpless position. Now that the two are completely defenceless and are unable to fight back, he can finally extract his revenge on them. He will do so by making their punishment and deaths slow and painful, and the first step of his plan is to break them mentally. Let them know that they have been captured by the Abbey by giving into their foolishness and falling for his deception.

"What a shame." Mala said to Lucy and Alicia. The praetor looks back down at Archer and Tokoyami and proceed to bring his swords down on them.

Lucy and Yukino widen their eyes and drop their jaws in horror…for only a brief moment when Jason suddenly turns Alicia around to reveal her pouch placed on her hands with its cover open. The Orb of Heart suddenly shines brightly in front of Mala and Tal, causing the former to drop his swords unintentionally, and the two yelp and clutch their chests in pain.

Lucy manages to close her eyes in time, but everybody else except Jason had laid their vision on the Orb, causing all of them to yell in pain as they could also feel their hearts being grasped by a powerful force.

Alicia looked at everyone in horror. Although Jason is standing there perfectly fine due to the Orb being placed behind her back, Alicia could see Yukino, Brenda, Hodaka, Yegor and Amelia falling on their knees as they gasp and choke for air. She turns her head to the top of the pile of vines to see C.C. breathing uneasily as she clutches her chest with her left hand. Finally, Alicia looks over her shoulder to see Archer and Tokoyami crying in pain and agony as well. Realizing the dangerous effects that the Orb had upon everyone around her, Alicia quickly holds her pouch in front of her and closes the cover to conceal the Orb.

When the light is gone, everyone except Alicia, Jason and Lucy began to breathe normally again as the pain vanished. After Alicia places the strap of her pouch back over her shoulder, she turns around and said to Jason as she draws out her yo-yos again, "Thank you, Jason."

"No problem." Jason replied, regaining his composure after witnessing what happened earlier. After Alicia runs off, Hodaka lifts his head up to him.

"Jason, why?!" Hodaka asked.

"Hodaka, they are not our enemies." Jason reasoned with him.

"He's right." Yegor said to Hodaka as he stood up and helped Amelia get back up on her feet. "We should be helping them."

"You traitors!" Brenda snapped as she unsheathes her sword from her scabbard and runs over to Jason. But Yukino swiftly places herself in front of Jason, jumps up and delivers a twirling kick in the air as Brenda goes near her. Brenda holds up her sword to block her attack, but the impact sends her feet dragging through the grass backwards.

"Please, stop!" Yukino cried to her as she lands back on the ground. "We can help you get back home!"

"Shut up!" Brenda shouted at her as she gets back into her battle stance. She lets out a yell as she charges towards Yukino and-

"LUCY KICK!" Lucy shouted as she suddenly jumps into the air and delivers a hard kick to the side of Brenda's head, sending her rolling over the ground as she drops her sword.

"Sorry guys. I had no choice." Lucy said with regret after landing back on her feet. But when she turns to the others, Lucy looked perplexed as Yukino, Jason, Yegor, Hodaka and Amelia stare back at her dumbfounded. "What?"

"That was the lamest name of your attack that you were talking about earlier?" Amelia asked. "It sounds like something a dropkick came up with!"

"Why are you guys baffled now?! I used it in our last fight too!" Lucy cried.

"We all thought it was a joke you made it up out of nowhere before!" Jason shouted exasperatedly.

"Look out!" Yukino shouted as she points her finger to the air. Lucy turns to the direction where her friend is pointing to see Tal falling through the air towards her as he pulls back his fist. Lucy leaps out of the way before Tal lands on the ground and slams his fist down at where she originally stood.

While she is in the air, Lucy points her key at him and shouted, "OPEN THE GATE OF THE GOAT, CAPRICORN!"

As Lucy fires a blast of white magic from the tip of her key, it quickly takes form into a tall humanoid white furred goat who wears black sunglasses and a black twin-tail butler suit. Capricorn swings his fist at Tal and punches him directly at his left cheek which sends him dragging his feet through the ground by a few meters.

Tal swiftly looks back at Capricorn as the humanoid goat runs over to him. Capricorn throws his left fist at him and Tal quickly deflects it. He proceeds to deliver a series of punches at Capricorn, who barely manages to keep up as he dodges and blocks every attack that he throws at him.

Meanwhile, as soon as Mala lifts his head back up, he looked to his right and sees one of his swords laying on the ground beside Archer. As soon as he places his hand on its hilt however, Alicia reaches him and kicks his hand out of the way. She swings her right yo-yo and wraps it around Mala's neck. She gave a hard pull and throws him into the air as she turns.

As the strings around his neck loosened, Mala lands himself on the slope of the pile of the vines into a crouching position. He places his hand on the ground and looks up at Alicia, who gets back into her fighting stance as she faced him.

"Alicia…" Mala said as his voice quivered with rage. "You have humiliated me for the last time!" He and Alicia charge towards each other, ready to fight once more.

But suddenly, several vines fly over to Mala and Alicia, stopping their charge as they wrap around their arms and legs. The vines pull their legs up, spread their limbs out and lift them high up in the air. Both Alicia and Mala look down and see Laurent standing at the top of the pile below them.

"All of you filthy humans and demis who side with them have committed lies and defiance right in front of me for far too long! Forget about making all of you my soldiers! I should just crush you all right now!" Laurent roared ferociously.

Meanwhile, before Tal and Capricorn could swing their fists at each other again, several vines emerge from the ground behind them and wrap themselves around their arms. Soon after, multiple vines also grown out from the ground and coil around the bodies and limbs of Lucy, Yukino, Amelia, Jason, Yegor, Hodaka and the unconscious Brenda. Laurent briefly extends his arm before pulling it back and clenching his hand into a closed fist, making the vines carry Lucy, Tal and the others over to him.

C.C. uses all her strength to roll herself over to her master, while trying to ignore the pain from her broken arm in the process. When she is near him, C.C. finds herself lying on the side of her head. She reaches out her left hand at Laurent's leg, trying to touch it and activate her sleeping magic on him.

Unfortunately for her, Laurent looks down and stomps his foot, causing several vines to appear beneath and wrap around C.C.'s body. Laurent thrusts his other hand forward to send the vine carrying C.C. over to the others.

With a snap of his fingers, the vines around his victims began to squeeze their bodies or pull their limbs. Mala, Alicia, Amelia and Hodaka groan in pain while Tal and Capricon simply grit their teeth as the vines pull their arms and legs. Brenda snaps her eyes open and she, Lucy, Yukino, Jason, Yegor and C.C. let out agonizing screams as the vines slowly crush their lower torsos.

"Don't bother struggling." Laurent said, watching his victims suffer without a hint of emotion. "Your fates were inescapable!"

As she lowers her head, Lucy grabs the vine around her stomach and tries to pull it off. But no matter how hard she tries; she can never have the strength to do so. Lucy choked for air as the vines continue to slither tighter around her, and she could feel her stomach and bones slowly about to be crushed.

' _Is this it? Am I going to die?'_ Lucy thought in despair as her vision began to blur. She closes her eyes and grits her teeth as she stubbornly refused to accept her fate. With all her remaining strength, Lucy lets out a loud scream for help. "NAAAATTTTSSSSUUUU!"

"FIRE DRAGON'S…"

As soon as he heard his yell, Laurent turns around and only managed to see the Fire Dragon Slayer running towards him from behind with his flaming fist pulled back for a single second.

"IRON FIST!"

When he got near him, Natsu throws his flaming fist directly into Laurent's right cheek, sending him falling off the pile of vines and plummeting to the ground below. Laurent yelps as he slams onto the ground on the side of his head. Natsu engulfs his arms with flames. He swings his arms horizontally through the air to burn off the vines and free Laurent's hostages.

As the hostages fall through the air, Darren, Happy, Sting, Road, Mei Li, Libra and Aries run over to Natsu and stood beside him as the latter quickly holds out her hands and aim at the ground below.

"WOOL CUSHION!" Aries screamed. An extremely large and thick cloud of pink wool magically takes form and the hostages landed on it safe and sound. Lucy, Alicia and the others could feel themselves slowly descend and when the cloud of wool completely vanished, they all find themselves lying on the ground without any further injuries.

Natsu, Darren, Happy, Sting, Road, Mei Li, Libra and Aries proceed to run down the pile of vines to rescue their friends. Darren kneels beside Alicia and gently carries her up from the ground.

"Heh. What took you so long?" Alicia asked him with a smirk.

"Traffic?" Darren jokingly replied and the two simply laugh.

Natsu and Happy rush over to Lucy's side and gently turns her around. "Lucy! Can you hear me?!" Natsu asked in concern as he places his hands on her shoulders. Lucy slowly opens her eyes and manages to crack a weak smile.

"Natsu…Happy…" Lucy whimpered. "You came at last."

"Of course." Natsu said as he and Happy smiled back at her. "We'll always be there for you."

"Yukino." Sting said as he wraps Yukino's arm around his shoulders and helps her get back up on her feet.

"Sting-sama." Yukino responded. Sting smiles and sighs inwardly in relief.

"Amelia!" Mei Li cried to Amelia as she rushes over to her side. As she laid there, Amelia turns her head to the side and sees Mei Li kneeling beside her.

"Mei Li." Amelia uttered as Mei Li reaches out her hand to her. Amelia grabs it and Mei Li pulls her up from the ground.

After standing up straight and adjusting her glasses, Amelia looks back up at Mei Li with a frown, causing her to wince and close her eyes. Here it comes again. The part that happens every time after she makes a suggestion or lends a helping hand to her. She is going to yell at her again about how unsatisfied she truly is like she always does.

However, instead of being yelled at, Mei Li felt a hand placed gently on her shoulder. She looks at Amelia to see her…smiling back at her.

"You came for me. Thank you." Amelia said softly to her. Mei Li, completely taken off guard by this, stares back at her dumbfounded for a moment before her lips curve into a wide smile and fresh tears form in her eyes.

"Y-You're welcome." Mei Li replied before wiping away her tears.

"You know, before we get back to our world, why don't we keep in touch so that one day, I can drop by your hometown in China and have some fried crickets with you?"

"Hai!" Mei Li replied happily with a nod.

Meanwhile, as Road kept C.C. up in a sitting position, Aries creates a sling made of her wool for her broken arm.

"Thank you." C.C. said to Aries before gesturing her to Archer and Tokoyami who are still lying on the ground in pain. "Now please attend to my friends." Aries nods her head before she rushes over to them.

As Tal and Capricorn get back up on their feet, the two clench their fists tightly and they proceed to fight each other again.

After Mala picks up his swords, Darren, Alicia, Natsu, Happy and Lucy get into their battle stances and prepare to fight him.

"I have been waiting for this moment." Mala said icily to them as he crosses his swords together. As soon as he lowers them, Mala makes a mad dash at the five of them.

"Get ready!" Natsu yells to his friends before he, Darren and Alicia charge at Mala while Happy flies behind Lucy, wraps his tail around her body and carries her over to the fight.

Darren swings his katana diagonally at Mala. Mala dodges it by sliding to the side and delivers a kick to Darren's torso. As Darren stumbles away from him, Natsu throws a few flaming punches at Mala, who deflects both of them with his swords. He twirls around and delivers a spinning attack at Natsu with his swords. Natsu blocks his swords by holding up flaming arms but the impact sends him dragging his feet through the ground backwards.

While Happy carries her in the air, Lucy swings her whip at Mala and manages to coil it around his left arm. As Mala struggles to get his arm out of her grip, Lucy pulls back her whip to restrain him and shouted, "Alicia, now!"

Alicia lets out a yell as she swings her yo-yos around in circles in the air at incredible speed. As she turns and swings her yo-yos at Mala, the praetor briefly looked at her before they slam directly into the front of his helmet. Lucy loosens the grip of her whip as Alicia's attack sends Mala flying through the air for a moment before he lands on his face and slides through the ground.

As Tal and Capricorn are still throwing punches at each other, Sting, Yukino, Libra and Road try to run over to them. But Laurent suddenly falls through the air and lands in front of the three. As he stands back up, he holds up his arms and glares at the three.

"I assume you must be Laurent Mendy. I heard you're the Nature Dragon Slayer." Sting said. While in his fighting stance, Sting cloaks his entire body with an aura of bright light. "Nice to meetcha. I'm the White Dragon Slayer."

"It doesn't matter that you got back your Dragon Slayer magic, I will prove to you that YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR ME!" Laurent's eyes grew wide as saucers as he raised his voice. As he spreads out his arms, a huge wall of vines grew out from the ground behind him. Laurent swiftly thrusts his hands at Sting, Yukino and Road and the vines curve and fly over to them.

Sting swings his white fists to deflect and destroy the vines that are heading towards him. Libra places herself in front of Yukino and swings her scales horizontally through the air as she twirls around.

"GRAVITY CHANGE!" Libra shouted as a gravitational force pushes the vines back, preventing them from going near her and her mistress.

Road swings Lero around and slashes through the vines with the sharp golden tip on top of his head. When she is done slashing them, Road aims Lero at Laurent and the umbrella lifts his head up.

"Eat this, Lero!" Lero shouted as he fires a blast of red energy at his former master. Laurent quickly reacts by swinging his tail forward, causing a wall of vines to emerge from the ground in front of him to block the attack. Suddenly, Sting leaps into the air and throws his head back.

"WHITE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Sting shouted as he throws himself forward and fires a large tornado of light down at Laurent. Laurent looks up at him and throws his head back as well.

"NATURE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Laurent fires a huge blast of green energy from his mouth and it collides against Sting's attack. Yukino, Libra and Road stood where they are as they and Lero watch Sting and Laurent firing and pushing their blasts against each other in awe.

Eventually, the aura of light all over Sting's body shine brighter, causing his White Dragon's Roar blast to enlarge and rapidly push back Laurent's attack. Laurent widens his eyes in shock as Sting's blast reaches him and sends him sprawling through the ground.

"Good job, Sting-sama!" Yukino cried happily as Sting lands back on the ground.

"Whoa." Lero uttered as he and Road stare at Sting in awe.

"Amazing." Road added.

Meanwhile, Capricorn collapses onto the ground after Tal delivers a powerful punch across his right cheek.

"Capricorn!" Aries cried to her fellow Celestial Spirit after she had finished attending to Archer and Tokoyami. She runs over to Tal and forms a huge amount of pink wool in her hands. "WOOL BOMB!"

Aries throws her wool at Tal, who easily swipes it away by swinging his arms side to side as he nonchalantly walks over to her. Aries gasps in horror. When he is near her, Tal swiftly grabs her arm and tosses her over to the trees behind him as he turns around. Aries yelps as her back slams against the trunk of the tree and she tumbles onto the ground on her face.

Tal turns his head to Mei Li and Amelia, and they both gasped. They turn around and try to flee but Brenda and Hodaka place themselves in front of them, armed with their sword and gauntlets. Mei Li and Amelia tremble as they back away from the two praetors. When they felt the ground rumble, they turn around and stare at Tal in terror as he walks over to them. They came to the horrible realization. They are surrounded by members of the Abbey, and their friends are unable to help them.

But much to their surprise, Brenda and Hodaka both run past Mei Li and Amelia and charge towards Tal. Tal slightly widens his eyes at this shocking revelation, and he throws his right fist at Brenda who reached him first.

Brenda blocks his fist by holding up her sword. She managed to deflect Tal's fist out of the way and she successfully lands a diagonal slash at his abdomen. But although she managed to slash through his clothes, the cut on Tal's abdomen isn't deep, as if it felt more like a minor scratch.

Tal narrows his eyes and he holds up his left fist and brings it down onto Brenda, who quickly dodges it by rolling over the ground to the side. As Tal slams his left fist on the ground, Hodaka runs over to him and delivers two punches across both sides of his face. Tal grimaced as he gets up and delivers an uppercut to the bottom of Hodaka's chin, sending him flying through the air and landing on the ground near Mei Li and Amelia with a hard thud.

"Hodaka!" Brenda cried. She growls as she turns back to Tal and runs over to him.

"Hey! You okay there, mate?" Amelia asked in concern as she and Mei Li help pull Hodaka up from the ground and gets him into a sitting position.

Hodaka coughed and replied as he turns to Amelia, "It really hurts, but I'll be fine."

"You're helping us." Mei Li said to him.

"Yeah. After Brenda and I heard that your friend is from China, that's when we realize you're just like us." Hodaka said.

"So Lucy managed to knock some sense into her, eh?" Amelia responded while Mei Li stares at Hodaka in shock.

"Wait, you guys are from our world?!" Mei Li asked incredulously.

The three of them look back to the front when Brenda yells in pain and collapses onto the ground on her face after getting punched across the face by Tal. Amelia, Mei Li and Hodaka watch Yegor running over to Tal from behind and wraps his arms around him. As Yegor restrains him, Jason goes over to Tal from the front and delivers a few punches to his abdomen and the bottom of his chin. But Tal shows no sign of emotion on his face.

"What's with this guy?!" Jason remarked in disbelief before Tal lifts his leg up and kicks him in the abdomen with his knee. Jason groans as he bends forward and Tal kicks him right into his abdomen again which sends him sprawling through the ground. Tal grabs Yegor's hand and tightens his grip, causing him to yell in pain as he felt his fingers being crushed. As Yegor releases him, Tal whirls about and delivers a powerful punch to his chest, sending him stumbling backwards.

Brenda gets back up from the ground and glances at Amelia, Mei Li and Hodaka for a moment before she turns around and runs over to Tal again with her sword in hand.

"This guy seems bloody invincible!" Amelia said.

"What do we do?" Mei Li asked in fear. "If we couldn't defeat Laurent's servants before, can we even defeat someone like him?"

"We have to try." Hodaka responded. Amelia and Mei Li look shocked to see him slowly getting up from the ground and preparing to face Tal.

"What? You're kidding me, right?" Amelia asked as Hodaka clenches his gauntlets.

"My superior, Brenda, is fighting against him right now. She is doing this to protect us and keep us alive. She has always been doing this for me and my friends ever since she became our squad leader. And no matter how dangerous the situation is, she risks her life daily to keep us alive until the day we can all go home. And that is why even though I'm weak and scared like the both of you…I'm still going to risk my life as well for her and everyone around me." Hodaka turns his head and look at Amelia and Mei Li over his shoulder. "So stay put while we handle him. We will not let him lay a finger on the both of you."

Amelia and Mei Li simply stood there in awe as they watch Hodaka runs over to his friends and Tal to join in the battle. After Tal holds up his arm to block Brenda's vertical swing of her sword, he curls his other hand into a fist and punches her in the gut, causing her to cry in pain as she is sent sprawling through the ground. Tal nonchalantly stands up and removes Brenda's sword from the small cut she had left on his arm. After tossing the sword to the side, he sees Hodaka running up to him and throws his right gauntlet at him.

As Hodaka fights with Tal again, Amelia and Mei Li lower their heads to contemplate what he had said to them and everything they had been through with their new friends.

Back in China, Mei Li's parents became overly protective of their children ever since her brother got himself injured in an accident. Since then, Mei Li and her brother were home-schooled throughout their primary school years and they were taught Taiji Quan every day in order to defend themselves when the day their parents believe they are ready to enter society comes. Mei Li finally attended her first public school when she reached the age of 13. But because her parents had constantly reminded her the potential dangers of making contact with strangers over the years, Mei Li reluctantly chose not to make friends to avoid getting scolded by them. She felt lonely and wish for the day she can finally be independent to come sooner. But she never expected that day would come in the form of her being transported into an entirely different world.

For the last two months, Mei Li finally experienced what it is like to defend herself in the outside world by trying to find food and water daily in order to keep her and Amelia alive, as well as avoid getting caught by the Abbey and Laurent's servants. She immediately grows afraid of the possibility of being captured by their enemies and dying out here. And now that their situation has drastically changed as they are forced to fight against their enemies head-on in order to stay alive, Mei Li's fears grow bigger. Maybe, her parents were right after all. The outside world truly is too much for her to handle, and she may even face a far worse fate than her brother for being disobedient.

But when she sees her friends risking their lives to protect her and fight for their survival, she couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself. For not being able to fight alongside them and instead serve as a heavy burden despite all her years in practicing Taiji Quan. Is this it? Is she going to continue being afraid? Is she not going to prove to her parents that she can take care of herself? Is she just going to let her friends do all the fighting while she does nothing? Is her dream of wanting to be independent a joke after all?

"Mei Li?"

Mei Li turns her head and looks back up at Amelia. Her friend had a solemn frown on her face as she continued, "What I would love to do is ditch 'em and bail on this fight…but I'm tired of acting like a wuss. So I'm going to do my part in helping them."

Mei Li stares wordlessly at Amelia for moment before she purses her lips and narrows her eyes at her. Enough is enough. Mei Li had always kept doubting herself from doing what she wants because of her parents' lectures over the years. She is happy that they care for her, but there comes a time when she had to stand up for herself. And after seeing the determination on Amelia's face, Mei Li believes that the time is now. She made a promise to Natsu that she will conquer her fear. Now, it is time for her to fulfil it.

"So am I." Mei Li said, giving Amelia a solemn nod.

As Jason, Yegor, Brenda, Aries and Capricorn all laid on the ground defeated, Hodaka yells as he runs over to Tal and swings his right gauntlet at him. Tal easily blocks his attack by grabbing his gauntlet with his left hand. He uses his right fist to deliver a powerful punch to Hodaka's chest. Hodaka gasps in pain as Tal releases his gauntlet and lets the boy stumble backwards. Tal goes over to Hodaka, grabs his helmet and pulls it out from his head. After revealing his face, Hodaka looks up at Tal for a brief moment before the tall man tosses his helmet away and swings his fists several times across his cheeks. He kicks Hodaka in the abdomen with his knee, causing him to bend forward, and he finally sends him to the ground by throwing down his right fist onto the back of his head.

As Hodaka collapses onto the ground on his face, completely beaten and defeated, Tal suddenly stomps his foot on the back of his head.

"Hodaka!" Brenda cried as she heard Hodaka yelp. She tried to crawl herself over to him and Tal, but the pain she received from him was too much for her and had taken away almost every ounce of power she ever had inside her.

"STOP!" Jason cried in horror.

"DON'T!" Yegor added.

"B-Brenda…Jason…Yegor…" Hodaka groans as tears form in his squinted eyes. "If you ever drop by Sado Island, tell my parents…" He sniffed one last time before he closes his eyes and prepares to accept his fate. "I love them…"

Tal lifts up his foot above Hodaka's head for a brief moment before he lets out a yell and brings it-

"DICKHEAD!" Amelia shouted furiously as she swings Brenda's sword at Tal's other leg. As the sword slashes across the side of his leg, Tal widens his eyes in shock as Amelia moves to the side and the man tumbles onto the ground on his back.

"W-What?" Hodaka said dumbfounded as he opens his eyes to find himself still alive.

As Tal recovers from the fall and turns his head to the side, he sees Amelia glaring at him while slightly bending her knees and holding Brenda's sword at a downward diagonal angle like a cricket batter.

"Try and take on someone your own size, or are you too much of a wuss to take me on?" Amelia asked flatly.

Tal grits his teeth as he gets back up from the ground. Amelia looks up as Tal towers over her and proceeds to walk over to her.

"Get away! You can't win!" Yegor shouted to Amelia with his eyes wide as he laid on the ground helplessly. As Amelia backs away from Tal, the tall man continues walking over to him as he cracks his knuckles and prepare to punish her from delaying his execution of Hodaka.

However, rather than turning around to flee or showing a look of horror on her face, Amelia responded to him by tossing away Brenda's sword and giving him a lopsided smirk as she places her hands on the sides of her hip.

"You shouldn't be looking at me, _champ_." Amelia said to Tal. Suddenly, much to his shock, Mei Li runs up to Tal from behind, leaps into the air and wraps her legs around the back of his neck.

"Stop hurting my friends!" Mei Li shouted angrily as she sat on Tal's shoulders and proceeds to deliver multiple swift punches to the back of his head. Tal tries to grab Mei Li with his right hand, but the girl moves to her left and circles around to his front. Mei Li and Tal find themselves staring right at each other for a brief moment before she delivers several swift punches across his cheeks. She delivers a swift chop to the side of Tal's neck and although the man is still standing, he widens his eyes as he could feel a strong sense of pain surging through where Mei Li had landed the side of her hand at.

Tal responded by grabbing Mei Li by her hair. He turns to the side and tosses her to the ground. But while she is in the air, Mei Li quickly recovers and performs a roll on the ground before she gets back up on her feet. As Mei Li whirls about and gets back into her fighting stance, Tal runs over and swings his fist at her. But to his surprise, Mei Li swiftly deflects his fist to the side and delivers several quick punches to his chest. She delivers an uppercut to the bottom of Tal's chin, sending him stumbling backwards. Mei Li takes the opportunity to deliver a few kicks to Tal's left thigh, but the man stays firm and kept standing. Mei Li soon jumps into the air, twirls around and delivers one more kick to Tal's abdomen. But Tal grabs her leg with her left hand and tries to break it by bringing his right fist down on it. But Mei Li quickly reacted by lifting her other leg up and kicks Tal's right arm out of the way, causing him to release her. As Mei Li lands on her back, she quickly lifts both her legs up and delivers another powerful kick to Tal's abdomen which sends him stumbling back again. When he recovers, Tal looks up and sees Mei Li get back up on her feet and gets into her fighting stance again.

"I don't believe it." Brenda uttered as she, Hodaka, Jason, Yegor, Aries and Capricorn had been watching the fight in awe.

"She's incredible." Hodaka commented.

"Kick…his…ass!" Jason yelled encouragingly at Mei Li as he slams his fist on the ground.

Tal lets out a furious yell at her. There is no way he will let a girl who is two feet shorter get the better of him. He runs over to Mei Li and delivers a series of punches at her. But Mei Li quickly reacted by deflecting all of his fists to the side. When Mei Li grabs Tal's right fist, she immediately finds an opening and thrusts her right hand at the bottom of his chin. Tal's eyes widened as he finds himself looking up at the sky. Mei Li swiftly delivers a chop to the front of Tal's neck with her left hand which sends him stumbling backwards once again.

After a quick recovery, Tal runs over to Mei Li again and swings his fists multiple times at her again. Mei Li dodges them by backing away and moving side to side. After blocking Tal's last attack by grabbing his right fist again, Mei Li throws her right fist to the left side of Tal's torso. Tal growls at her as he grabs Mei Li by her neck with his left hand. He grabs her left leg with his right hand and carries her up over his head for a brief moment before he throws her to the ground. But as she falls, Mei Li quickly adjusts herself and places her hands on the ground. She lifts herself up and turns her head to Tal who runs over to her. Mei Li quickly uses her left leg to kick Tal's right leg when he got near him. She quickly turns around, kicks Tal in the gut with her other leg and finishes it by sweeping him off the ground with her left leg.

As Tal collapses onto the ground, Mei Li gets up and brings her foot down at his face. Tal stops her by grabbing her foot and giving it a twist. But Mei Li twirls herself around in the air to prevent him from twisting her ankle. As she lands back on the ground safely and faces her opponent again, Tal gets up and breathes heavily from anger and exhaustion. Mei Li lowers her arms and places her hands behind her back as she stands up straight.

"It's over." Mei Li said calmly to him. Feeling his blood boiled upon hearing his opponent believing she had won; Tal lets out a ferocious roar as he charges over to her and pulls back his right fist. But as soon as he goes near her, Mei Li delivers a swift kick to Tal's left thigh, causing him to yell and lower his right fist as he falls on his left knee. This gives Mei Li the opportunity to chop her left hand onto the right side of Tal's neck. Tal widens his eyes as he felt a powerful sensation surging through his neck that cause his nerves to turn numb. Mei Li delivers several more chops onto the left side of his neck, his left upper arm, forehead, sternum, and finally, the area where his heart is.

Tal could only stare back at Mei Li dumbfounded for a few seconds before he rolls his eyes back and his head wobble about. Mei Li moves to the side as Tal collapses onto the ground on his face. As the fight finally comes to an end, Mei Li blows out a sigh and bows her head to her fallen opponent.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Amanny, AquaBluey and Piyot for reviewing, favoriting and following my story! And special thanks to Crimson-Tuna-Sub for helping me with Amelia's dialogue! Thanks everyone!**


	30. Bonds, Part 6

_**Bonds, Part 6**_

Mala delivers two horizontal slashes at Natsu with his swords and the Fire Dragon Slayer blocks his attacks with his flaming arms. Mala now throws a vertical overhead strike at Natsu with his swords. Natsu holds up his arms and crosses them to block the attack. He pushes the swords back and throws his right fist horizontally at the praetor. Mala ducks down and swings his right sword across Natsu's abdomen, leaving a horizontal cut on it. Natsu groans in pain as he backs away and clutches his abdomen.

Darren dashed at Mala and swings his katana diagonally at him. Mala quickly counters it by getting up and swinging his left sword diagonally to deflect Darren's katana. As Darren backs away, Mala thrusts his right sword at him. Alicia stops his attack by throwing her yo-yo at Mala's right arm. It knocked his arm out of the way, stopping Mala from stabbing Darren with his sword which barely misses his chest by a few inches. As Darren recovers, he goes over to Mala, twirls around and delivers a diagonal kick to the side of his head, knocking him to the ground. Mala rolls over and gets back up to see Darren and Alicia standing together as they face him.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried to her friend as she runs past Darren and Alicia to attend to him.

"I've been through worse." Natsu responded as Lucy helps him get back up.

"You know, we could get this fight done and over with if you would just use your Orb of Heart right now. So why don't you use it?" Mala asked Alicia.

"No, I won't." Alicia replied flatly. "Your superiors make use of the Orb of Mind to force innocent people into serving them against their will. If I use the Orb of Heart to force my enemies into getting down on their knees, then I will be no different than them."

"Tch. Even with the Orb in your possession, your mind is still weak." Mala said. He connects his swords together, forming it back into a double-bladed naginata. He twirls the weapon around in the air before he pulls it back and charges towards Darren and Alicia.

Mala swings his weapon horizontally at Darren and Alicia. Alicia ducks down and rolls out of the way and Mala ends up clashing his weapon against Darren's katana. Darren pushes Mala back as Alicia gets back up and turns around to face the back of the praetor.

As Darren blocks a few swings of Mala's naginata, Alicia swings her yo-yos horizontally at the praetor from behind. Mala swiftly turns around and swings his naginata horizontally to deflect the yo-yos. Darren now swings his katana diagonally at Mala's back. Mala quickly holds his naginata above his back to block Darren's attack.

Alicia swings her yo-yos vertically at Mala, who gets back up and swings his naginata horizontally again to block her weapons as he turns around. When he faces Darren again, Mala sees him swinging his katana vertically at him. Mala holds up his naginata to block Darren's katana with its hilt and pushes him back.

Alicia twirls around and swings her yo-yos horizontally at Mala again. But as he turns around, Mala detaches his naginata and deflects the yo-yos with his left sword before aiming his right sword at Alicia.

"DESTRUCTIVE EDGE!" Mala shouted and suddenly, a large explosion erupted diagonally from the ground in front of Alicia. Alicia yelps as the explosion sends her flying through the air and slamming against the pile of vines behind her.

Mala turns back to Darren who is about to swing his katana horizontally at him. Mala quickly responded by swinging his swords horizontally at him.

"DESTRUCTIVE SLASH!" Mala yells and fires two gusts of wind from his swords at Darren. The gusts of wind send Darren flying through the air. Natsu quickly goes over to Darren and catches him with his arms.

Lucy runs over to Mala and throws her whip at him. Mala grabs Lucy's whip with his hand and pulls her over. As Lucy is dragged over to him, Mala lifts his knee up and kicks her in the gut. Lucy bends forward and Mala brings down the bottom of the hilt of his sword onto the back of her head. As Lucy collapses on the ground, Mala turns his swords around and tries to stab her but Natsu quickly shouted as he throws his head back, "FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"

Mala quickly crosses his swords as Natsu throws himself forward and fires a large blast of fire from his mouth at him. As Mala blocks Natsu's attack with his swords, he makes his way over to the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu widens his eyes to see the praetor resisting his attack as he walks over to him. When Mala is near Natsu, he lifts his knee up to kick him at the wound on his abdomen. Natsu stops firing from his mouth as he bends forward and backs away in pain. Mala walks over to him again and swings his right sword diagonally upwards, leaving a diagonal slash on Natsu's chest before the Fire Dragon Slayer falls to the ground on his back.

"Natsu!" Darren shouted to his fallen friend as he runs over to Mala from the side and thrusts his katana at him. Mala swiftly turns and deflects his katana by swinging his left sword to the side. As Darren stumbles to the side, Mala delivers a hard kick to his abdomen, sending him falling to the ground on his back. Mala walks over and stands above him.

"Your struggle is over!" Mala proclaimed before he turns his swords around and brings them down onto Darren.

But just as the tips of his swords are only a few inches away from Darren's face, several vines fly over to Mala, coil around his arms and torso and lift him up into the air.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Mala cried in despair as he lost his opportunity to kill Darren again.

"Enough of this!" Laurent shouted from the top of his pile of vines with his arms stretched forward. "I will cleanse my territory of your filth!"

Soon, multiple flower buds emerge from the ground and the pile of vines. They fully open to reveal Laurent's possessed soldiers. Sixteen of them were former praetors while many others were unfortunate mages and civilians who have trespass into his forest before. As the buds return back into where they originally emerged from, the possessed soldiers slouched for a moment before they look back at their enemies and shriek at them. They hold out their arms and several vines grow out from them to form sharp green drills made from plants. They all hold up their drills in front of them and run towards their enemies.

As Darren quickly gets up from the ground with his katana, he sees Alicia struggling to break free from the vines around her arms and legs as she lies against the pile of vines. He looks up and sees the possessed soldiers running down the pile and heading towards her. Darren glances at Alicia again before he charges over to her.

"Hang on!" Darren shouted as he reaches Alicia. As he holds up his katana, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before he swings his katana diagonally four times. Alicia looks down in awe as the swings slash off the vines from her arms and legs without leaving a scratch on her. But as Alicia gets up and turns around, the possessed soldiers are now only a few meters away from her and Darren. They both get into their battle stances, preparing to fight off the soldiers.

Suddenly, Archer swiftly runs past Darren and Alicia. He stops in front of the nearest possessed soldier and slashes him with one of his swords. Before the soldier collapses, Archer already runs over to the next nearest soldier in incredible speed and swings his right sword diagonally to take her down. One possessed soldier runs over to Archer, who simply defeats him by swiftly thrusting his left sword into his chest. Darren and Alicia simply stood there and watch Archer fight with pink wool wrapped around his upper body in awe.

"Are you guys okay?" Darren and Alicia could hear Tokoyami asking them. They turn around to see the demihuman, along with Lucy and Natsu, running over to them.

"Yes, we are." Alicia said. "What about you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine too. Thanks to your friend." Tokoyami replied. "It seems our master finally lost it and unleashed his army of soldiers upon us. And after what C.C. and Road did to him, he definitely wants his own servants to die too."

"Is there any way to make them stand down?" Darren inquired. "Your friend is killing them when these people were once just like us!"

"Unfortunately, no. Not even our master has a reversal spell to bring these soldiers back to normal." Tokoyami said.

"What are you saying?" Lucy asked as she, Natsu, Darren and Alicia widen their eyes in horror.

"Once they become possessed, they are our master's mindless pawns forever." Tokoyami said grimly. "And that means the only way to put an end to their misery is to kill them, which is why my friend is currently doing so."

After Road slams the back of a possessed soldier's head onto the ground with her right hand nearby, she and Lero turn their heads to Natsu, Lucy, Alicia, Darren and Tokoyami and said to them, "He's telling the truth."

"We have to kill them, Lero. There's no other choice." Lero said hoarsely as Road holds him in her other hand. Sting and Yukino, who stood nearby them, turn their heads and stare wordlessly at each other.

Natsu, Lucy, Alicia and Darren also stare silently at each other for a moment before the latter gave them a solemn nod. Natsu, Lucy and Alicia nod their heads back before they and Tokoyami look back at the advancing possessed soldiers who managed to run past Archer.

"I wish it never had to come to this." Natsu said grimly as his fists tremble.

"Let's go!" Lucy yelled with a mixture of sadness and frustration as she pulls her whip tightly. Tokoyami stood where he is and unleashes his shadow while Natsu, Lucy, Alicia and Darren charge towards the soldiers.

The nearest soldier swings his drill horizontally at Darren, who quickly dodges it by sliding through the ground. As he does, he swings his katana horizontally to slash his legs, causing him to fall. Darren gets up, turns around and walks over to the soldier as he screeches in pain. As he stands above him, Darren holds up his katana, turns it around and sombrely stares down at the soldier for a moment. The soldier turns around and tries to thrust his drill at him as he gets up. But Darren quickly brings down his katana and stabs him in the chest to end his life.

As Darren stands there and tries to comprehend what he has done, another soldier runs up to him from behind and tries to stab him with her drill. Alicia swiftly wraps her yo-yo around her drill arm and pulls her away from Darren. As the soldier falls to the ground on her face, Tokoyami's shadow brings down his fist onto the back of her head to knock her out.

Lucy coils her whip around a soldier's neck and gave a hard pull, sending him falling to the ground on his face. Lucy drags him over and knocks the soldier out by stomping onto the back of his head. Natsu yells furiously as he runs his way to the top of the pile of vines where Laurent is, punching away any possessed soldier who goes over to him with his flaming fists.

When Laurent sees Natsu coming towards him, he thrusts his right finger at him, sending several vines to fly over to the Fire Dragon Slayer. Two vines managed to grab Natsu's left arm and right leg. As the vines carry him up into the air, Natsu sees six more vines flying towards him. As he quivered with rage, Natsu throws his head back and shouted, "FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"

He blows a huge blast of fire at the vines, burning them into ashes. Laurent rolls out of the way before the blast landed on where he originally stood. After the blast dies down, Natsu engulfs his right hand with flames and grabs the vine around his right leg to burn it off. He also engulfs his left arm with flames to burn off the vine around it as well and Natsu lands back on his feet. As soon as he looks up and turns his head to Laurent, Natsu pulls back his right arm and curls his hand into a fist as he engulfs it with flames.

"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!" Natsu shouted as he leaps into the air and flies over to Laurent.

Laurent leaps back and crosses his arms. A wall of vines emerge from the ground in front of him. Natsu throws his fist and burns through the wall of vines, but he sees Laurent swinging his right arm back. Several vines grow on his right arm as he shouted, "NATURE DRAGON'S CRUSHING VINE!"

The vines transform his right arm into a long and large whip and Laurent swings it at Natsu. The vine slams at the side of Natsu's torso, causing the Fire Dragon Slayer to gasp in pain as he sent flying through the air. But suddenly, Tokoyami leaps into the air and his shadow catches Natsu in his claws. Tokoyami twirls around and the shadow throws Natsu back towards Laurent.

"Damn you Tokoyami!" Laurent shouted furiously as the vines on his right arm withered and shattered.

Natsu yells as he pulls his flaming fist back and throws it at Laurent as he lands back on the ground in front of him. Laurent dodges it by moving to the side. He swings his right fist at Natsu and successfully punches him across his cheek. Natsu quickly recovers and delivers an uppercut to the bottom of Laurent's chin with his right fist. Laurent looks back at Natsu as the Fire Dragon Slayer throws his left fist at him. Laurent quickly grabs his fist with his left hand to stop his attack. Natsu proceeds to throw his other fist at him and Laurent also grabs it with his right hand.

"How could you strip away the minds of these innocent people?! Don't you have any dignity for anyone around you?!" Natsu shouted at Laurent.

"So what?!" Laurent responded. "If you want to accomplish your goals, you must have the conviction to do whatever it takes! Surely as a mage, you should know that as well!"

"You damn monster!" Natsu bellowed as he throws his head back and brings it down onto Laurent's forehead with the force of a sledgehammer. Laurent stumbles backwards for only a brief moment before he snarls at Natsu and the two Dragon Slayers run towards each other.

Meanwhile, back at the base of the pile of vines, Mei Li tosses a possessed praetor over her shoulder and swiftly throws a punch to the front of his helmet to knock him out. She pulls out his sword from his scabbard and turns to Jason as she gets up.

"Jason! Catch!" Mei Li cried as she tosses the sword to him. Jason easily catches the hilt of the sword with his hand.

"Thank you, Mei Li." Jason said to her before he runs over to Yegor, who fights against a larger-built possessed soldier with a spear that was also taken from a praetor that Mei Li just defeated. The soldier deflects Yegor's spear with his drill arm and grabs his throat with his left hand. But Jason runs over to him and stabs him at the right side of his stomach, causing the soldier to yell in pain as he releases Yegor. Jason momentarily removes his sword, goes over to the soldier from behind and delivers a diagonal slash to his back. As the soldier stumbles forward, Yegor moves out of the way and Capricorn runs over to him, throwing a punch to his face and sends him falling to the ground on his back.

As Amelia and C.C. stood behind Aries, the three sees four possessed soldiers running over to them while holding up their drills. Aries holds up her hands at them and shouted, "WOOL SHOT!"

She fires several blasts of pink wool with her hands at the soldiers, sending them sprawling through the ground.

After defeating a possessed soldier by punching him in the face, Hodaka turns to his left and sees another soldier running over to him. As the soldier swings his drill vertically at him, Hodaka quickly stops his attack by grabbing it with his left gauntlet. He throws his right gauntlet at the soldier's gut and punches him. As Hodaka releases his drill arm, he delivers a punch across his left cheek with his right gauntlet, sending him falling to the ground just as another possessed soldier runs over to him and prepares to swing her drill horizontally at his head. Mei Li quickly runs over to place herself in front of the soldier and grabs her arm. She knocks her face with her right elbow and as she turns, Mei Li tosses the soldier over her shoulder. When the soldier slams onto the ground, Mei Li stomps onto her chest and gave it a twist, causing her to widen her eyes for a moment before passing out.

"Arigatou." Hodaka said to Mei Li gratefully.

Mei Li looks up and smiles at him. "Bie ke qi."

After stabbing another possessed soldier, Brenda kicks him in the gut just as she removes her sword from his chest. She suddenly turns around when she heard the footsteps of another possessed soldier running up to her from behind. Brenda whirls about and swings her sword horizontally to block the soldier's drill. But as they stay in a stalemate and push their weapons against each other, Brenda widens her eyes and drops her jaw in horror as she recognizes who the person before her is.

"Petra?" Brenda uttered as she gazed at the female praetor with black bowl cut hair in front of her. The possessed praetor hissed at her as she manages to push Brenda back.

Brenda quickly snaps out of her thoughts and sees Petra swinging her drill arm vertically at her. Brenda dodges it by moving to her right.

"Petra, it's me! Brenda! I thought I lost you!" Brenda cried, trying to reason with her friend as she dodges every swing from her.

"Shut up!" Petra screamed as she thrusts her drill at her. Brenda couldn't react in time as Petra successfully stabs her drill into her left shoulder, causing her to cry in pain. Petra delivers a hard kick to her stomach and as soon as Brenda's back hit the ground, the possessed praetor quickly kneels above her and wraps her hand around her throat to pin her down.

"P-Petra! Don't do this! W-We promised each other that we will fight and survive together! So that we can all go home!" Brenda pleaded as she tries to remove Petra's grip around her throat, but to no avail.

"Just die." Petra replied ferociously as she pulls her drill back and prepares to stab her in the face. However, Yukino runs over to Petra from the side and punches her across her left cheek, causing the possessed praetor to get off of Brenda and roll over the ground. As Petra tries to get up and turn her head, she sees Yukino already beside her as she brings her leg down to deliver a vertical kick onto the top of her head to temporarily knock her out.

"It's no use reasoning with her! She cannot go back to normal!" Yukino said to Brenda as she gets up.

"What?" Brenda uttered with her eyes wide as she kneels there.

"It's true! She is done for!" Yukino cried.

"N-No…That's not true!" Brenda said, trembling in horror and denial. Yukino kneels to her level and stares into her eyes.

"Look, I know it's hard to accept the loss of someone whom you cherished. I know that feeling too. It's a long story, but at the time, when I thought my sister could possibly be dead after being taken away by some bad people, I kept having negative thoughts about myself to the point I actually tried to take back time to reunite with her. Only to realize I ended up creating even more trouble for everyone in the process, all because of my selfish desire to reunite with my sister. If you don't let go of your past, not only will you die, but so will your friends who are still alive and fighting for you!" Yukino yelled.

Brenda turns her head to the left to see Mei Li grabbing hold of a possessed praetor's arms. She shrieks at her as she tries to break free from her grip. Fortunately, C.C. goes over to the possessed praetor from behind and thrusts her left hand onto the back of her head. Mei Li could see the possessed praetor's eyes rolling back through the holes of her helmet and she tosses her to the side. C.C. gave a pat on Mei Li's shoulder and the two women smile at each other before they get back into the fight and help their friends.

Meanwhile, a possessed praetor slashes his drill horizontally across Yegor's chest, making him turn around and collapse to the ground on his face. The praetor now stabs his drill into the back of his left shoulder, causing Yegor to yell in pain again. Sting suddenly runs over to the possessed praetor from the side and tackles him to the ground. As Sting began delivering several punches to the praetor's face, Jason runs over to Yegor and pulls him up from the ground. Brenda noticed that not only two of her friends have injuries all over their bodies, but they are also starting to breathe heavily from exhaustion.

"So come on!" Yukino yelled at Brenda again, causing her to snap of her thoughts and look back at her. "Get back up on your feet and save whoever still has a chance to live!"

As Petra runs over to Yukino from behind, she whirls about and punches the possessed praetor across the face before she could even swing her drill at her.

As Brenda watch Yukino and Petra fight each other, she couldn't help but reminisce all the memories she and Petra had together. Even before they got back their memories of their hometowns, Brenda and Petra formed a close relationship by working together and communicating with each other during their training sessions at the Abbey's headquarters. But after being hit in the heads during a live-fire exercise, Brenda realized that in reality, Petra is a kind and innocent girl who, just like everybody else in her expedition, is afraid of being in a completely different world that she has no knowledge of. Although she had always been a headstrong girl back in Germany, even Brenda admits that she too fears being in a place that she doesn't recognize. That is why when she is appointed as the new squad leader, she vows to Petra and everybody else in the expedition that as long as they stick together, she will take them home to their families.

Seeing Petra now becoming a mindless servant who will attack anyone at will including herself truly broke her heart. Petra didn't deserve this. She deserves to be brought back home to her farm in Kentucky where she would be safe and sound with her family. But now it seems impossible after Yukino told her that what happened to her is irreversible. It would seem the only way now to put an end to her suffering is the same way that every dying soldier should be treated. But how can Brenda bring herself to do it? How can she kill someone whom she had fought alongside with? How can she put a sword into someone whom she made a promise to that she will take her home?

However, when Brenda sees Petra swinging her drill horizontally across Yukino, causing the mage to yelp as she clutches her stomach in pain, that was when she is finally brought back to reality and realize the horrible but honest truth.

"No…Petra…" Brenda murmured. "You shouldn't be doing this…"

As Petra delivers another diagonal slash to Yukino's shoulder, making her cry in pain again as she turns around and falls to her knees, Brenda finally regain enough control of her muscles to pick up her sword from the ground and grit her teeth.

"You shouldn't be killing anyone!" Brenda shouted furiously at her former friend. Before Petra could thrust her drill into Yukino's back, Brenda yells as she gets back up and runs over to the possessed praetor from the side. She aims the tip of her sword at Petra, thrusting her weapon into the side of her torso and pushing her away from Yukino.

Brenda turns Petra to the side as she removes her sword. As Petra looks back at her, she quickly blocks Brenda's diagonal swings of her sword with her drill. But she eventually stumbles backwards from the impact of her slashes, and Brenda thrusts her sword into the area where her heart is.

As they stood in front of each other, Petra's arms hang limply at her sides and her eyes turn from green to their natural blue colour. As she slumps her head to the side, Petra manages to form a weak smile as she said barely above a whisper, "Thank you…Brenda…"

Brenda's eyes grew wide. As she backs away and removes her sword from her friend, Petra collapses onto the ground on her back with her eyes closed. Brenda clenches her fist and sword tightly as she gazes at the smile on her deceased friend's face.

"I'm sorry Petra…I'm so sorry…" Brenda managed to say hoarsely as tears flow freely down her cheeks. As she stood there for a moment, she could feel Yukino placing her hand on her back to comfort her.

After wiping away her tears, Brenda walks over to the side of Petra's body. She kneels and carefully removes a metal heart necklace from her neck before standing back up. As she looks back to the front, she sees more possessed soldiers running up to her and Yukino. Brenda puts away the necklace before the two women look at each other. They nod their heads before they get back into their fighting stances and charge towards the enemy.

As Laurent and Natsu continue fighting with each other, Mala manages to bring his right sword towards his left arm, near enough for him to slash off the vines coiling around it. After freeing his left arm, Mala swings his left sword to cut off the vines around his right arm. He looks down at the vines around his torso and deliver a cross-like slash with both swords to cut them off.

When he lands back on the ground, he looks up to see three possessed people running over to him. Mala gets up and deflects a horizontal slash from one of the praetors with his left sword. Mala thrusts his right sword into his sword and kicks him to the ground. Afterwards, Mala moves to his right to dodge a vertical slash from a possessed soldier and thrust his left sword into his chest. Mala removes his sword from him and runs over to the next nearest possessed soldier, swiftly swinging his bloodied right sword diagonally at her before she could even react. As the soldier stumbles backward, Mala goes around her and swings his bloodied left sword diagonally at her back. After she collapses onto the ground, Mala turns around to see more possessed soldiers running over to him. After attaching his swords together to form his double-bladed naginata, Mala lets out a yell as he twirls his weapon around and runs over to them.

"FIRE DRAGON'S FLAME ELBOW!" Natsu roared as he pulls his right fist back. Flames burst out from his right elbow before Natsu throws his fist over to Laurent, punching him across his left cheek. After rolling over the ground a few times, Laurent quickly recovers, gets back up and pulls his right fist back.

"NATURE DRAGON'S SNAP TRAP!" Laurent bellowed. As he throws his right fist forward, his arm turns into a large and long green vine that extends itself over to Natsu and his fist transforms into a large head of a Venus flytrap. It opens its snap traps and gnaws onto Natsu's abdomen when it reaches him. Natsu yells in pain as he throws his head forward. Laurent drags him over as he pulls his vine back and throws his head back as he prepares his second attack. "NATURE DRAGON'S ROAR!"

When Natsu is near him, Laurent throws his head forward and fires a huge blast of green energy from his mouth, directly onto the Fire Dragon Slayer's face. Natsu screams in agony as Laurent holds him in front of him for a few moments before he finally releases the Fire Dragon Slayer and his blast sends him sprawling through the ground. When Natsu came to a halt, barely at the edge of the pile of vines, he looks up to see Laurent breathing heavily as the demihuman quivered with rage.

"Do you see now, human? Because you care too much about the lives of your friends who are only mindlessly delaying their inevitable defeat, you could never match the same level of power and strength as me." Laurent said.

Natsu turns his head to his right and sees Archer swiftly running over to another possessed soldier and slashes him diagonally with his left sword. Five possessed soldiers run over to Archer and pounce onto him. Archer manages to toss one of them over his right shoulder, but the other four wrap their arms around his neck and lower body to restrain him.

"Archer!" Tokoyami yells as he sees his friend struggling to break free. His shadow tries to fly over to Archer, but four possessed soldiers suddenly leap into the air and pounce onto him. As his shadow struggles to throw them off, the possessed soldiers continously stab their drills onto his arms and torso, causing him to scream in pain.

"NO!" Tokoyami yelled in alarm as he quickly pulls his shadow back towards him. This causes the possessed soldiers to fall off of his shadow as he returns back into Tokoyami's body. While his shadow tries to recover from his injuries, Tokoyami now tries to run over to Archer who manages to kick off a possessed soldier in front of him. But suddenly, one tall possessed soldier runs over to the demihuman to block his path. Tokoyami jumps into the air and delivers two horizontal kicks across his face, but the soldier quickly recovers and grabs him by his left arm. He throws Tokoyami up into the air and slams him onto the ground on his face as he releases his arm. Tokoyami gets up and wipes his beak with his arm before Darren and Road go over to him. Tokoyami glance at them as they hold their katana and Lero in front of them. He looks back at the soldier and they and Lero all yell as they charge towards him.

"If only you had nothing to hold you back, you would have been at your most powerful form." Natsu looks back at Laurent who is now standing up straight with his hands behind his back. He holds up his right hand into the air and squeezes it tightly. "And what you had just witnessed from me…is mine."

Natsu grits his teeth for a moment, before he throws his head back and burst into laughter, much to Laurent's surprise.

"Why do you laugh at the face of defeat?!" Laurent yells at him as he swings his right arm horizontally through the air. After regaining hold of himself, Natsu takes a deep breath before he slowly gets back up on his feet.

"If that is your most powerful form…" Natsu wipes his mouth before looking back up at Laurent with a devilish grin. "Wait until you see mine."

Flames engulf his arms as Natsu throws them down. Laurent grits his teeth at him as he gets back into his fighting stance and grows vines all over his arms. The two Dragon Slayers yell ferociously as they charge towards each other.

"NATURE DRAGON'S…" Laurent yelled as he throws his right arm back and transforms it into a long and large whip. "CRUSHING VINE!"

He swings it horizontally at Natsu, who quickly dodges it by throwing himself back and sliding through the ground on his knees. As Natsu gets back up, he delivers a powerful uppercut to Laurent's abdomen as they go near each other. Laurent gasps in pain as Natsu throws back his other arm.

"FIRE DRAGON'S…" Natsu grabs onto Laurent's face with his hand. "GRIP STRIKE!"

Natsu releases a vast amount of fire onto Laurent's face and creates a huge explosion that sends him flying backwards through the air and falling to the base of the pile of vines. Laurent yelps as he lands on the ground on his back with a thud. He snarls as he lifts his head up. He brings himself back up on his feet and look up to see Natsu flying down towards him as he pulls back his right flaming fist.

As Natsu throws his flaming fist at him, Laurent crosses his arms and covers them with vines to block his attack. After Laurent pushes him back, Natsu performs a backward flip before landing on the ground. Laurent charges towards Natsu and delivers a series of punches at him, who swiftly dodges them by moving himself side to side. Suddenly, Natsu swiftly grabs Laurent's left arm, much to the demihuman's surprise. Natsu swings his left fist at Laurent and punches him across his right cheek.

After releasing his arm, Natsu grabs Laurent's shoulders and delivers a hard kick to his abdomen with his knee. He throws his right fist and punches Laurent across his left cheek before he thrusts his left hand at his chest and gave him a powerful push that sends him sprawling through the ground.

"You're wrong, Laurent." Natsu said to the demihuman as Laurent looks back up at him. "You are so wrong about achieving your most powerful form by putting away your emotions."

As the Fire Dragon Slayer walks over to Laurent, the demihuman gets back up and pulls back his left arm, transforming it into a large vine with a Venus flytrap head, preparing to use his Snap Trap attack again.

"Because my power comes from my friends. Lucy, Happy, Darren, Alicia, Sting, Yukino and everybody else who is fighting for their survival right now." Natsu said.

Having enough of hearing his rambling, Laurent shouted furiously as he thrusts his vine at Natsu, "NATURE DRAGON'S SNAP TRAP!"

But this time, when the Venus flytrap head opens its traps and attempts to bite him, Natsu swiftly grabs its jaws to stop his attack. As Laurent stares back at him in shock, Natsu grits his teeth in fury.

"Let me show you how strong it truly is!" Natsu pushes back the upper jaw of the Venus flytrap head with great force, making a crack that causes Laurent to scream in agony. After pushing the Venus flytrap head back, Natsu throws his arms back and generates huge amounts of flames on both hands.

"FIRE DRAGON'S…" Natsu claps his hands together, creating a huge fireball before lifting it up into the air. "BRILLIANT FLAME!" Natsu tosses the fireball into the mouth of the Venus flytrap head. As the fireball goes inside its mouth, Laurent widens his eyes in horror as he sees his entire left vine arm turning into ash before being engulfed in flames. Laurent screamed again as he quickly transforms it back to normal. He painfully clutches onto his left arm, which is now covered in ashes and his entire left sleeve is burned off.

As he looks back to the front, Laurent could only watch in terror as Natsu flies over to him in great speed, aiming the top of his head at his chest.

"FIRE DRAGON'S SWORD HORN!" Natsu shouted as his entire body is engulfed in flames. The top of his head collided against Laurent's chest, causing the demihuman to gasp in pain as Natsu sends him flying towards a large tree behind him. Natsu finishes him off by slamming him onto the trunk of the tree. Laurent rolls his eyes back and hangs his head before the flames die down and Natsu falls to the ground on his face. Laurent slumps down into a sitting position as he sat against the tree in defeat while Natsu gets back up and looks down on him.

As both men breathed heavily, Laurent clenches his fists and said wearily, "This…T-This can't be…My plan…to invade Petunia…" As he looks back up, he shot a glare at Natsu and grits his teeth. "I will not let it end like this!"

However, as soon as Laurent tries to get up, Natsu swiftly punches him in the face, causing Laurent to sit back down as his back slams against the trunk again.

"Just admit defeat already!" Natsu bellowed. The two Dragon Slayers remain silent for a few moments before he continued, "You are a Dragon Slayer. You are supposed to use your powers for good. To protect innocent people across Earth Land. Instead, you used your powers to either kill them or turn them into mindless slaves. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Soon, Natsu heard a sniff from Laurent. When the demihuman looks back up at him a few seconds later, Natsu could see tears brimming in his eyes.

"You think I've never used my powers to protect people before? I did so…when my father was still the mayor of Petunia." Laurent explained as he furiously fights back his tears. "Back then…everyone in Petunia admired me and my parents. My father and my mother took good care of the town while I, as the Nature Dragon Slayer, protected it from bandits and invaders. For a while, things could go no wrong for any of us. But then, after the Tartaros Incident happened, all the townspeople completely turn their backs on us. My father's aide, who was a human, betrayed us by allowing the humans to storm into our home and attack us. They injured my parents while they were protecting me. And when we stepped outside, I got to witness the true nature of humanity. Everywhere we go, I see humans forcing the demihumans out of their homes, burning their property, and beating them on the sidewalks. After everything me and my parents have done, this is how the humans reward us in return. My parents and I escaped into the West Forest where we take refuge. I tried to look for help. But no matter where I go, nobody heeds my requests. And eventually, my parents die from their injuries a few days later. That is why…" Laurent paused for a moment as he sniffed again. As tears finally pour out from his eyes, Laurent bawled unhappily at Natsu, "I will never forgive humanity for what they did to us!"

For a few moments, the two Dragon Slayers stare at each other in silence again. Finally, Natsu responded to the heartbroken demihuman, "I'm sorry for what happened to you and your parents. I too know the feeling of losing them. But while you chose to follow your misguided beliefs, I chose to move on and become better. If you continue walking down the path you had chosen, you are only hurting yourself further. Face it. You can kill and enslaved as many people as you want, but it will never undo the past!"

Laurent's eyes grew wide as his words struck him with great force. Natsu frowns as he places his hand on his chest.

"I too hated the guy who killed my father. But while my father may no longer be in this world, I believe his spirit will always live within me." Natsu said firmly before extending his hand to Laurent. "So stop crying. Stand back up, and show your parents how much you've grown, and how you have lived your way since."

Laurent continued staring at Natsu in silence as tears continue flowing down his cheeks. He lowers his head and replied, "No. It's too late for me."

"It's never too late…while you're still alive." Natsu said.

Laurent looks back up at Natsu and pursed his lips. He reaches out his arm and grabs Natsu's hand. The Fire Dragon Slayer smiled back at the demihuman as he pulls him up from the ground.

But suddenly, Laurent pushes him out of the way. As Natsu turned to see why he did it, he drops his jaw and froze in complete shock. Right in front of him is Mala, impaling Laurent on his naginata.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Amanny, AquaBluey, ZKARYX and AlecLightwoodMagnusBane for reviewing, favoriting and following, and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**

 **To all my readers, please stay safe and healthy during the pandemic.**


	31. Bonds, Part 7

_**Bonds, Part 7**_

Natsu could only gaze in horror as he sees the blade of Mala's naginata pierced through Laurent's chest and out from his back.

"Tch. Filthy demihuman." Mala muttered. As he detaches the other half of his naginata with his right hand, Mala swings his right sword diagonally to slash off Laurent's left ear. After the ear landed on the ground, Mala kicks the Nature Dragon Slayer to the ground as he pulls his other sword out from his chest.

"Laurent!" Natsu yelled at him as the demihuman coughs out huge amounts of blood from his mouth. After reattaching his naginata, Mala picks up Laurent's ear from the ground and dematerializes it as he stores it away.

"I heard you are a Dragon Slayer. I shall keep your ear as proof to my superiors that I am still worthy of my rank." Mala said to Laurent, who could only respond to him with a harsh cough.

Natsu snarls at Mala for a moment before he yells furiously and charges over to the praetor. As he throws his flaming fist at him, Mala swiftly turns to the Fire Dragon Slayer and twirls his naginata around in front of him. The naginata deflects Natsu's fist, causing the Fire Dragon Slayer to stumble backwards. Mala runs over to him as he detaches his naginata and swings both of his swords horizontally at Natsu. Natsu quickly engulfs both of his arms in flames and deflects both swords with his arms. As Mala soon swings his swords vertically downwards at him, Natsu quickly holds up his arms to block them. The two stay in a stalemate as they push against each other.

"No need to feel upset…because you are next." Mala said icily to Natsu.

"If you lay a finger on him, you will face the wrath of all of us!" Lucy shouted at him. Mala pushes Natsu back before turning around to see all his other enemies standing behind.

Lucy narrows her eyes as she tightly pulls her whip. Happy grits his teeth as he hovers behind Lucy with his wings spread out. Alicia clenches onto her yo-yos as she glares at the praetor. Darren, Archer, Brenda and Jason hold their swords up in front of them. Hodaka, Mei Li, Sting, C.C., Yukino, Capricorn and Libra hold up their clenched fists as they get into their fighting stances. Yegor and Road aim the tip of his spear and Lero at Mala. Tokoyami and his shadow glare at the praetor as the latter holds up his curled claws. Aries holds up her hands, preparing to fire her wool magic at will. And finally, Amelia holds up her clenched fists and gives her fiercest look to Mala, despite not having any fighting skills and magic like the others.

"You dare side with the enemy and point your sword at me, Corporal Bierhoff? You are a disgrace to the Abbey." Mala said coldly to Brenda.

"I was _never_ part of the Abbey in the first place, and so does my friends!" Brenda barked at Mala while Hodaka, Jason and Yegor nod their heads. "Because of you, Petra and everyone we loved are dead. You and the rest of the Abbey will pay for this!"

Mala turns around for a moment to see Natsu preparing to fight as well as he holds up his flaming fists. He looks back at Lucy and the others and scoffed.

"As much as I desire to kill you all, it would be foolish of me to fight against all of you on my own. So, consider yourself lucky. But know this. Inevitably, all of you will meet your defeat." As Mala finished, he quickly slams the blade of his naginata onto the ground and creates an explosion. Natsu, Lucy and the others cough as huge amounts of smoke consume them. When it dissipates a few seconds later, they look back at where Mala originally stood, only to now see a crater left on the ground. Sting whirls about and sees Mala landing on top of the pile of vines and run away.

"Hey wait!" Sting yelled angrily as he tries to pursue Mala, but Yukino quickly stops him by grabbing his arm.

"No. Let him go." Yukino said flatly as the White Dragon Slayer look back at her. "We have someone else to attend to."

Yukino gestures him to Laurent, who is still lying on his pool of blood. The others rush over to the Nature Dragon Slayer, and Natsu and Aries kneel beside him. Sting's eyes softened before he and Yukino go over to Laurent as well.

"Laurent! Speak to me!" Natsu cried to him in concern as Aries hastily places her hands on his chest and creates huge amounts of wool around his body. She pressed the wool against his wound to stop the bleeding, but it is no use as Laurent had already lost too much blood.

"N-Natsu…t-that's your name…r-right?" Laurent struggled to speak. Natsu nodded in response. "I...I guess…this is it…it is time for me…to pay for my sins…" Suddenly, Laurent coughed out some blood from his mouth, causing Natsu and the others to wince. "I let my anger and hatred towards humanity…turn me into a monster…I can never be forgiven…for what I've done…"

Natsu carefully slides his arm underneath Laurent and gently lifts his head up from the ground. Laurent turns his head to his former servants and said to them weakly, "Archer…Tokoyami…Road…Lero…C.C….you all became my servants…because you were just like me…but all of you…have truly outgrown me…As you continue living your lives…always remember…to never walk down…the same path as me…"

Archer, Tokoyami, his shadow, Road, Lero and C.C. stay silent as they frown at the Nature Dragon Slayer. Laurent now turns his head to Lucy, Darren, Alicia and the others.

"As for you…you've proven to me…that you truly are strong…when you work together…and show care and mercy towards others…" Laurent said as his breathing grew heavier. Lucy pursed her lips while Aries and Capricorn stood behind their mistress and place their hands on her shoulders. Darren and Alicia cling onto each other's hands and Happy frowns at Laurent as he tries to fight back his tears. Yukino nods her head as she grabs onto the arms of Sting and Libra as she stood between them. Mei Li, Amelia, Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor stare wordlessly at Laurent from a distance as they stand together.

Finally, Laurent turns his head to Natsu and look into his eyes. "Natsu…if only we had met sooner…we would have been friends…" He said to him.

"I agree." Natsu said, nodding his head again as he grabs onto Laurent's right hand and places it onto his chest. The demihuman closes his eyes, allowing his tears to flow down his cheeks before he looks back up to the sky.

"Father…mother…I'm coming…" Laurent managed to say with the last of his strength before C.C. walks over and kneels beside him.

"Rest well." C.C. whispered to Laurent before she places her left hand on his forehead. The demihuman fell asleep as Natsu could feel his heart starting to die down. Finally, the beating stopped and Natsu gently places Laurent down on the ground.

Lucy, Darren, Alicia and the others turn around to see all the praetors and other humans who had their minds possessed by Laurent either lying on the ground or collapsing as they close their eyes and join Laurent to the afterlife. Darren, Road, Lero and Tokoyami could see the tall possessed soldier they defeated earlier falls onto his knees and closed his eyelids before he collapses onto the ground on his face.

"Everyone, may you finally be in peace." Brenda said softly. She, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor bow their heads to pay their respects to their fellow praetors and others who fell in the battle. Natsu removes the red ribbon around Laurent's collar before he, Aries and C.C. stood back up.

"Goodbye…" Natsu said grimly as he gazes at Laurent. "Fellow Dragon Slayer…"

* * *

After Aries applied bandages made from her wool onto Natsu, Yukino, Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor, everyone buried Laurent's body right in front of his pile of vines. Despite everything he had done, Natsu, Lucy, Sting and Yukino believes he still deserves a proper burial as everybody else. To them, Laurent was a troubled person who tragically lost his way of life after enduring the undeserved pain and torture that he and his parents experienced. Because of it, he allowed his hatred towards humanity to consume him, which ultimately led to his downfall and death. Natsu, Lucy, Sting and Yukino show their sympathies towards him, believing that they could have ended up like him if they hadn't become members of their respective guilds and made friends that helped brought peace and happiness into their lives. The four also vow to Laurent that they will bring his father's aide to justice as his actions towards the Mendy family after the Tartaros Incident were completely uncalled for.

When they are done with the burial, Natsu, Lucy and the others follow C.C., Road and Lero from behind as they walk their way out of the West Forest and to the town of Petunia. Archer and Tokoyami carefully wrap their arms around the shoulders of Natsu and Sting as the Dragon Slayers help carry them. As they walk together, they noticed that the large flowers grown on almost every tree throughout the forest had withered and drained of their natural colours. Now that Laurent had passed, so does his magic over the West Forest.

It would take about forty-five minutes for them to finally step out from the West Forest and into a large grassy field, much to the delight of Amelia and Mei Li. Petunia is still about two miles away from their current location, so Alicia predicts it would take another thirty minutes before they finally reach town. However, everyone stopped for a moment as Archer groans and winces in pain. Lucy goes behind Archer and sees a pool of blood forming on the wool around his body.

"I can feel my wound reopening." Archer said, breathing heavily. "I don't think I can make it before I fall into shock."

"Please Archer. Just hang in there for another half an hour. We are almost at our destination." Road said concernedly.

"Yeah, come on. Just a little bit more and we'll soon be surrounded by mages who can help put us back together again." Natsu said reassuringly to Archer as Lucy walks past them and returns to Alicia's side. Amelia, who stood between Alicia and Yukino, cups her chin as she ponders for a moment.

"You know…this may be a little embarrassing but…" Amelia paused as she rubs the back of her neck. "Back in my country, we had this song to motivate us to keep moving forward. I would love to sing it but…I don't really remember the lyrics well."

"It's okay. Just try to sing. If you can at least remember the music, you can try humming to it." Lucy said to her encouragingly.

Amelia glance around to see that everyone is looking back at her. After taking a deep breath, Amelia starts to murmur,

 _Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong_

 _Under the shade of a coolibah tree,_

Amelia fell silent when suddenly, Alicia sang loudly with her head held high.

 _And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."_

Alicia smiles back at Amelia as she extends her hand to her. Amelia's lips form into a wide smile as she grabs her hand. Everyone looks back to the front as they resume their journey through the field while Alicia and Amelia continue to sing.

 _Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."_

While they were singing, Darren starts to join in, and so does Lucy and Yukino soon after.

 _And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled,_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."_

After Alicia, Amelia, Darren, Lucy and Yukino paused for a moment, Natsu, Happy, Sting, Mei Li, Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor sing along with them.

 _Down came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong,_

 _Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,_

Natsu and Sting turn to Archer and Tokoyami as they encourage them to sing. Archer and Tokoyami murmur for a moment before they are able to follow the lyrics and sing along.

 _And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."_

C.C., Road and Lero smile at each other before they give in and sing as well.

 _Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."_

 _And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."_

As everyone momentarily pause again, Amelia continues smiling as she felt something that she had never experienced in a long time since the betrayal from her former friend. Amelia held her head up high as she sang as loud as Alicia and the others.

 _Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,_

 _Down came the troopers, one, two, three,_

 _"Who's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag?"_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."_

As they walk side by side, Yukino and Brenda smile at each other as they sing.

 _Up jumped the swagman and jumped into the billabong,_

 _"You'll never take me alive", said he,_

Mei Li and Hodaka move their heads side to side as they sing and walk alongside each other.

 _And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."_

A wide smile plasters across Natsu's face as he watches everyone in front of him for a moment. To think that at the end of the day, most of these people who used to be enemies with one another would be able to set their differences aside to fight against a common foe, and eventually turn into friends. It would seem that the ideology of Fairy Tail stays true once again that real power comes from friendship and unity.

 _Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"_

 _And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."_

As everyone sang the final part of the song, Amelia's eyes are brimmed with tears of joy as thanks to the presence of Alicia, Lucy, Natsu, Darren and the others around her, she is finally freed from her dark past.

 _Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"_

 _And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,_

 _"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."_

* * *

Sometime later, everyone finally spotted a town in the distance which mostly consists of small concrete houses and buildings. To their surprise, they also spotted a large ship parked near its entrance. That wasn't all though as standing in front of the town were several Rune Knights and familiar faces.

"It's a Magic Council ship!" Natsu shouted enthusiastically as he, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Sting and Yukino smile in relief.

"And it's Erza, Gray, and everybody else!" Happy added. He, Natsu, Darren and Alicia laugh cheerfully as everyone rush their way towards them.

"Hey guys! It's us!" Alicia shouted happily as she waves her arm up at everyone in the distance. Erza, Gray, Wendy, Carla, Sheena, Noel, Emmanuel and Brave Vesperia turn their heads away from the Rune Knights whom they were talking to and are surprised to see their friends again.

"Everyone!" Wendy cried ecstatically to them.

"Guys! You're alright!" Karol shouted with a huge smile on his face while Sheena suddenly runs over to them.

"Darren!" Sheena cried to her friend.

"Sheena!" Darren smiled at her. Not caring about Road, Lero and C.C. as she runs past them, Sheena goes over to Darren and pulls him into a tight embrace. Darren's eyes nearly bulged out from their sockets as he felt the impact from Sheena making contact with his body.

"Darren! I was so worried! I miss you so much!" Sheena bawled as she rests her head on his shoulder.

"H-Hey. Relax Sheena. We were only separated for half a day." Darren replied.

"But it does feel like forever." Sheena sobbed with tears forming through her eyelids. "Please…don't scare us like that ever again…got it?"

The smile on Darren's face vanished as he remembered what happened to them back at Loegres. He gently wraps his arms around her and replied, "I'm sorry."

Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Sting and Yukino smile as everybody else watch Darren and Sheena stayed in their embrace. As they watched them, Alicia and the members of Team Natsu realize that despite her cold personality and quiet demeanour, Sheena does have feelings for her friends, especially Darren. While keeping a forced smile on her face, Alicia couldn't help but feel her heart sink a little. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Lucy finally interrupts the moment with a cough.

"Ahem. Hate to spoil the reunion but we have people who are wounded here." Lucy said as Sheena and Darren back away from each other. "Sheena, can you quickly get Wendy and Estelle to come over and help them?"

"Yes, of course." Sheena replied. She wipes away her tears before she turns and runs back to the other members of Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia back at the town's entrance. Darren smiled weakly as he, Natsu, Lucy and the others continue walking their way towards Petunia.

* * *

Shortly after reuniting with everyone at the town's entrance, Wendy and Estelle quickly attend to Natsu, Yukino, Brenda, Hodaka, Jason, Yegor, C.C., Archer and Tokoyami to heal their wounds and injuries. When they are done, the medics from the Magic Council ship come over to remove the wool from their bodies and apply the bandages on them. Although C.C.'s right arm had been restored thanks to Wendy's magic, she was still advised by the medics to continue wearing a cast on it for the time being.

"We were stranded at the river for a while after the praetors destroyed our ship. Fortunately, Emmanuel still has his lacrima to contact the Magic Council to pick us up. They brought us over to the nearest town which happens to be Petunia, and we were just about to conduct a search around the area of the Spiegel River where we were separated. That is until all of you surprisingly showed up. Despite Natsu getting some injuries, I'm glad you guys are still alive." Noel explained to Lucy and Happy.

"We're relieved that the rest of you are fine too." Lucy said to her.

"Aye!" Happy added as he raised his arm.

"You two are fortunate. If you had kept losing blood for another ten minutes, you two would have fell into a state of shock." One of the medics said to Archer and Tokoyami as they carefully wrap the bandages around their bodies.

"We really owe them our gratitude for saving our lives." Archer said as he and Tokoyami turn to Darren and Alicia.

"You're welcome." Darren said as he and Alicia smile at them. After the medic finished wrapping the bandages around Archer, Sheena walks over to him and the two Mizuhans stare at each other.

"Hello, Fujibayashi-san." Archer greeted as they bow their heads to each other.

"Nice to see you alive and well, Emiya." Sheena responded. Before Darren and Alicia could ask how the two know each other, Sheena turn to them and said, "Darren, Alicia, would you mind if we could have a moment to ourselves?"

"Sure." Darren said as he and Alicia nod their heads to her. They walk away from Sheena and head over to Mei Li and Amelia who are standing in front of Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor. When the medics are done putting the bandages on them, the four former praetors stand up from the ground and see Emmanuel and three other Rune Knights walking over to them.

"Hands up." Emmanuel said sternly to the former praetors, causing Mei Li and Amelia to gasp. Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor did as he said, and Emmanuel ordered the knights, "Cuff them."

When Emmanuel and the knights stand in front of the former praetors, they lower their arms and place their handcuffs around their wrists.

"What are you planning to do to them?" Amelia asked in concern.

"Due to their affiliation with the Abbey, we'll be taking them to Era for further questioning, along with all the other praetors whom Noel and the others rescued back at the Spiegel River." Emmanuel explained.

"Sir, please. I hope you won't give them severe punishments. These people are just like us after all." Mei Li said to Emmanuel pleadingly.

"They really risked their lives to bail us out from the enemy back there." Amelia added worriedly.

"Don't worry, you two. If they really are from your world like you claim, we won't imprison them." Emmanuel replied with a smile. Mei Li and Amelia sigh in relief.

"All of you," Brenda said to them as Mei Li, Amelia, Darren and Alicia turn to her and the other former praetors. "Thank you…for keeping us alive."

She, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor proceed to bow their heads to them to express their gratitude. Mei Li, Amelia, Darren and Alicia smile and bow back to the former praetors. As they all stand back up, Mei Li, Amelia, Darren and Alicia watch Emmanuel and the Rune Knights escort the former praetors over to the ship.

"Guys, I promise you. We will defeat the Abbey, so we can all go home together." Darren said solemnly to the four. Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor nod their heads to him before looking back to the front.

"So, you're from Earth, eh?" Emmanuel asked Brenda as they walk alongside together.

"Yes." Brenda nodded.

"Moi aussi, madame." Emmanuel said to her with a smirk.

Brenda turns to Emmanuel, staring at him in surprise for a moment before she smiles and lets out a chuckle. "Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen."

"Heh. Who knows? That bloke will be getting himself a missus soon." Amelia laughed as she, Mei Li, Darren and Alicia watch them leave. Afterwards, she and Mei Li turn to Darren and Alicia.

"Darren, Alicia, thank you so much for your help." Mei Li said, bowing her head to them. "Amelia and I would have never got out from the West Forest alive if it wasn't for you and your friends."

"You're welcome. But you two did a great job yourselves in looking out for each other and fighting alongside us." Alicia complimented. Mei Li giggled while Amelia chuckled sheepishly as she adjusts her glasses.

"So, the Knights say that they will take me and Mei Li to the city of Era where we'll join all the other people from our world. Will you two not come with us?" Amelia asked Darren and Alicia concernedly.

"No. The battle against the Abbey is our fight now." Alicia replied firmly.

"And we will see it to the end." Darren added with a solemn nod.

"Very well then." Amelia said. "I'm sure the rest of your journey is gonna be dangerous. So take good care of your missus while you're out there in the bush, Darren."

Darren and Alicia gasp at Amelia before they turn to each other and see their cheeks blushing.

"Umm, okay. Sure." Darren replied to Amelia as he and Alicia turn away from each other. Amelia chuckled in amusement as she watches Darren scratching the back of his head while Alicia places her hands behind her back.

"I wish you two good luck in your journey." Mei Li said. Darren and Alicia smile at her before they, Mei Li and Amelia pull each other into an embrace. After breaking away from their hug, Noel and two Rune Knights walk over to Mei Li and Amelia.

"Girls, it's time." Noel said, gesturing them to the Magic Council ship. Mei Li and Amelia nod their heads to her and the Rune Knights escort them to the ship. As they walk, Mei Li and Amelia turn back to Darren and Alicia and wave their hands at them.

"Goodbye Darren! Goodbye Alicia!" Mei Li said.

"See ya later, you two!" Amelia added.

"Bye Mei Li! Bye Amelia!" Darren responded as he and Alicia wave back at them. After Alicia lowers her arm, she holds up her other hand and smirks at Amelia and Mei Li as she gave them a salute.

"Take it easy, mates." Alicia said. Amelia chuckles at Alicia before she and Mei Li look back to the front and make their way to the ship.

Meanwhile, Sting gently placed his hand on Yukino's back as they talk to each other while standing at the town's entrance. Suddenly, a man and a woman walk over to Sting and Yukino from behind shortly after stepping out of the boundaries of Petunia.

"Sting Eucliffe! Yukino Agria!" The woman said as the couple smile at them in relief. "Thank goodness the both of you are alright."

"You two have gone into the West Forest for two days, and we were starting to worry that the both of you have shared the same fate as the other missing people who ventured there." The man said as Sting and Yukino turn around. Their smiles soon vanished when they see the cold glares on their faces.

"What is it?" The man asked worriedly.

"Lacus Clyne, you owe us an explanation." Sting said to her sternly.

"What's wrong?" Lacus asked.

"When Sting and I ventured into the West Forest to rescue the two magicless civilians, we encountered a demihuman who has apparently been living there in exile for two years named Laurent Mendy. Does his name ring a bell?" Yukino inquired. Lacus and the man gasped.

"Laurent Mendy? As in the Nature Dragon Slayer, and the son of Francois and Rosalie Mendy?" The man uttered.

"So you do know them." Sting said, clenching his fists. Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Noel and the other members of Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia grew concerned by the anger building inside him, and they all walk over to him and Yukino. Sheena and Archer, who both finished their conversation, also head over to Sting, Yukino and the others.

"Tell us, what exactly happened here after the Tartaros Incident? According to Laurent, his father's aide betrayed his family and chased every demihuman out of Petunia. Do you happen to be that former aide of Francois Mendy, Mayor Lacus Clyne?!" Sting demanded.

"Sting Eucliffe! Please calm down!" Erza chided Sting.

"But Erza, you don't understand!" Sting yelled at her.

"No, please! Let me explain!" Lacus cried to everyone who is now standing in front of her and her husband. After getting everyone's attention, Lacus frowns as she continued, "To answer your questions, Sting Eucliffe, no. I am not the former aide of Francois Mendy. A riot did occur in Petunia two years ago after news of the Tartaros Incident broke out, but I swear I wasn't the one who instigated it."

"She's telling the truth. I can feel it." Natsu said, gazing at Lacus. Instantly, the rage that was quivering inside Sting earlier dies down.

"So what exactly happened? And where is this former aide now?" Yukino asked.

"After Francois's former aide overthrew the Mendys, he took his position as the new mayor of Petunia and forced all remaining demihumans to leave the town. Things went back to normal for a while. But for the next eighteen months, the town's economy declined as the former aide made use of his position as mayor to tax the townspeople daily until they are completely broken. That is when the townspeople have had enough. They set their own town on fire to lure the former aide and his associates out of the town hall, and they immediately kill them." Lacus explained.

"So the former aide who betrayed the Mendys has since passed." Lucy said. _'Laurent's desire for revenge was for nothing after all.'_

"When the townspeople later raid and loot the town hall, they discover why the former aide started the first riot in the first place." Lacus continued. "It turns out he is secretly an associate to a few town council members who were against having demihumans co-existing with humans in Petunia, but the Mendys and the other members continuously reject their proposals, much to their frustration. Then, when the Tartaros Incident happened, they made used of the incident to spread fear and hatred among most of the human residents and made them turn against the demihumans whom they once considered their friends. That is when the humans who participated in the first riot feel ashamed over what they have done, and we are planning to erect a statue of the Mendy family in the centre of town to express our guilt and sorrows."

As the others stare wordlessly at Lacus and her husband, Darren, Alicia, Lucy and Natsu turn to each other.

"To think that if the people of this town hadn't suffered enough after both riots, Laurent was actually planning to invade and destroy this place." Lucy whispered.

"If his plan had commenced, Petunia would have ceased to exist." Darren said. Alicia and Natsu nod their heads before the four of them look back at Lacus and her husband.

"After the fire burned most of our town and having experienced two deadly riots within less than two years, Petunia is completely devastated. And to this day, we are still having difficulty trying to recover from the past." Lacus turned to her town. Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Sting, Yukino and the others see that some of the buildings near the entrance of the town have damaged rooftops, broken windows and all sorts of burn marks on its walls. "The merchants and tourists have stop coming here because of the events that had happened. The townspeople still feel guilty over what they have done to the Mendys and the demihumans two years ago, and they hope that one day, they will return here to bring life back to their town. Since all our town's politicians are dead, it is up to me and my husband Kira to take the roles of mayor and aide."

"Lacus and I originally worked as local bakers in this town." Kira said as Lacus turns back to the others. "We never thought we would get into politics one day. But since most of the rich people in this town have since left or lost most of their money, we thought we would be the ones to help Petunia recover its economy and former glory."

"What our town still lacks though is defence. The Nature Dragon Slayer has since left and the whole of Fiore is now at war with the Abbey. We don't know how we are going to defend themselves if the Abbey were to arrive here one day, and our town is too poor to request the guilds and the Magic Council to send people to protect us." Lacus said dishearteningly as Kira wraps his arm around her shoulder.

"Our only hope is that Laurent Mendy can one day return here to protect and forgive us." Kira said. "Although Lacus and I weren't among the humans who drove the demihumans out, we still feel equally guilty for not stopping them from causing chaos in our town."

"I hate to say this but…Laurent Mendy is dead." Natsu said grimly.

"What?" Lacus said incredulously as she and Kira widen their eyes. As Natsu walks over, he takes out Laurent's neck ribbon from underneath his jacket and hands it to them. Lacus takes it from him and she and Kira stare at it in despondency.

"Then that means…our town is truly doomed." Lacus said dejectedly as she and Kira kept their heads down.

Archer, Tokoyami, Road, Lero and C.C. turn to each other after hearing their explanation. The five of them feel guilty for assisting Laurent in trying to invade the town of Petunia before. And to think if they hadn't learnt the dire state of Petunia during the time they were hiding in the West Forest, they would have helped Laurent with his plans to the end. Although they have completely cut ties with him, Laurent was right about one thing. They must never follow the same path he took. And if there is any way for them to make up for what they have done, there is only one.

"Excuse me." Tokoyami said as the five of them approach Lacus and Kira. "Although our relationship isn't close, the five of us were associates of Laurent Mendy."

"We have been living with him in the West Forest this whole time until his death. And if it wasn't for the help of Sting, Yukino and their friends, we would have died along with him." Archer said.

"Before he passed, he wanted us to continue living our lives without following the same path he had took. So, we have decided that as our way to honour his last wish, we would like to stay here in Petunia and serve as your new protectors." Road said.

Lacus, Kira, Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Sting, Yukino and everybody else watch in awe as Tokoyami, Archer, Road and C.C. get down on the ground on a knee and they and Lero bow their heads to the mayor of Petunia and her husband. Lacus and Kira, completely taken off-guard by this, stare at the five of them for a few moments before the mayor could feel fresh tears forming in her eyes.

"Yes." Lacus replied. Tokoyami, Archer, Road, Lero and C.C. look back up at her and Kira to see the blissful smiles on their faces. "Of course. We will accept you all into our town."

"Thank you…" Kira said as he and Lacus bow back to the five of them. "All of you."

* * *

Later that day, as the sun begins to set, the Rune Knights are ready to drive their ship back to Era. After reaching the bottom of the ramp, Emmanuel, Sting and Yukino walk over to Noel and Natsu.

"The praetors are rounded up and the magicless people are safe and sound. We are ready to make our departure." Emmanuel said to Noel.

"Great work, Emmanuel. Have a safe journey back to Era." Noel said.

"Are you sure you no longer need me to accompany you?" Emmanuel asked his superior concernedly.

"Don't worry. I'm sure as long as I'm with them, I'll be perfectly fine." Noel said, smiling as she turns to Lucy, Darren, Alicia and the others who are conversing with Archer, Tokoyami, Road, Lero and C.C. at the town's entrance.

"Very well." Emmanuel said. As Noel looked back at him, Emmanuel gave her a salute. "Safe travels, lieutenant."

"Same to you." Noel replied as she salutes back to him.

"Well Natsu, I guess this is where Yukino and I part ways with you and your friends." Sting said to Natsu.

"It's great to be fighting alongside all of you again. But there are still other magicless people out there who are awaiting rescue, and the Magic Council needs us to go find them." Yukino added.

"I understand." Natsu said, extending his hand to Sting. "Best of luck to both of you, and everyone at Sabretooth."

"You too, Fairy Tail. And say goodbye to Lucy for us, will ya?" Sting asked as he shakes his hand. Natsu smirks and nods his head.

"Farewell, Natsu-sama." Yukino said as she and Sting wave their hands at Natsu.

"Goodbye, you two! Until we meet again!" Natsu replied, waving back at them. He and Noel watch Yukino, Sting and Emmanuel turn around and make their way back up to the ship.

Meanwhile, C.C. shook hands with Lucy as the two women smile at each other.

"Thank you, Lucy. You kept your promise that your guild will provide us a place to stay." C.C. said.

"And not just a place to stay, but a place where we belong." Road added as Lero nods his head in agreement.

"You're welcome, everyone. Be sure to look after this town and yourselves." Lucy said to them.

"Never consider your lives to be insignificant, and always continue living with all of your might." Erza added.

"We will." Tokoyami vowed as he, Archer, Road, Lero and C.C. nod their heads.

"Good luck on your journey to Mizuho." Archer said to Lucy and the others before turning his head to Sheena. "And stay strong, Fujibayashi-san."

"I will." Sheena responded as she gave a solemn nod to Archer. After Natsu and Noel walk over to Lucy and the others, they all wave their hands goodbye to Archer, Tokoyami, Road, Lero and C.C..

"Goodbye everyone!" Lucy said happily.

"Bye!" C.C. smiled as she, Road, Lero, Tokoyami and Archer wave back at them.

"See you around, Lero!" Lero added as they watch Natsu, Lucy and the others turn around and leave.

"Have a safe journey!" Road cried.

After walking a mile away from the town of Petunia, Darren turns to Sheena and asked, "So um, what did you and Archer discuss with each other?" When Sheena remained silent for a few seconds, Darren looks back to the front. "It's about Mizuho, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Sheena said softly. "To think we are almost there. Even after all this time, I'm not sure if I'm ready to confront my past."

"Sheena, no matter what happens, we are all here for you." Lucy said reassuringly to her.

"That's right." Estelle said, smiling tenderly at Sheena. "You have us now. There is no need to worry."

"And whatever challenge lies ahead for you, we got your back." Natsu said confidently.

Sheena looks up and sees everyone smiling at her. Overwhelmed with gratefulness towards her friends, Sheena's look of worry soon transforms into a blissful smile.

"Thank you everyone." Sheena bows her head to them. Everyone looks back to the front as they continue walking through the field.

* * *

Mala Makra and Tal Olsen stood in the middle of Cornelia's office as they gave their report to her.

"Mala, Tal, have you eliminated the members of Fairy Tail and their allies who disrupted our mission at Loegres?" Cornelia asked the two men as she sat behind her desk.

"Unfortunately, no, Madam Corningston. We have failed." Mala replied.

"I appreciate your honesty, Captain." Cornelia said as she slowly stands up from her chair and adjusts her glasses. "But have you completely forgotten what will happen to you when you failed me again?!" Suddenly, Tal steps forward to her desk and holds out Laurent's ear to Cornelia. "What is this?"

"It is an ear of the Nature Dragon Slayer whom we encountered during our fight against them in the West Forest." Mala explained. "Although I have failed to eliminate the one called Natsu Dragneel, I hope at least this will serve as proof that I am still capable of eliminating a Dragon Slayer or anyone who has the same level of power as them."

"Is that true?" Cornelia asked Tal. The man nods his head in response. Cornelia looks back at Mala and her lips form into a small smirk. "Very well. It seems you have proven that you are still a worthy subject."

"With our enemy now past through the West Forest, it is clear they are still en route to Mizuho. I shall head over there to destroy them." Mala said as Tal walks back to his side.

"No." Cornelia said flatly as she sits back down. "You have done enough for us lately. It is time for you to rest. I shall send someone else to deal with them instead."

"Very well." Mala said.

"Dismissed." Cornelia said. Mala and Tal bow to her before they turn around and make their way out.

"For once, we are on the same page." Mala said. Tal nods his head and the two men step out of Cornelia's office. When the door is shut, Cornelia leans back on her chair and places her arms on the armrests as she kept a wide smile on her face.

" _ **How much longer before my resurrection, Cornelia?"**_

"Patience, master. Just one more week." Cornelia replied as she looks up at the ceiling.

" _ **Very good. I have been waiting so long for this. Soon, I can finally finish what I have started."**_

"Yes. Just one more week, master." Cornelia said. "One…more…week."

* * *

It would take a day for Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Sheena and the others to arrive at the end of the grassy field. When they do, they realize that they are now standing at the edge of a cliff.

Everyone stares in awe as they look over the edge. While below the cliff is another forest, what is located beyond the trees in the distance is a rather large town surrounded by tall and large concrete walls. They could see a tall hill in the centre of town, and on top of it is a large palace of Japanese-like architecture. Sheena blows out a heavy sigh upon seeing her hometown again.

"Here it is, everyone." Sheena said. "Welcome…to Mizuho."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Amanny, AquaBluey and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for reviewing and checking out my story. Thanks!**

 **Finally, after two years of writing, we have reached Mizuho…**


	32. Mizuho, Part 1

_**Mizuho, Part 1**_

After reaching the bottom of the cliff, Team Natsu and the others travel through a forest as Sheena guides them towards the town of Mizuho. With every step they take towards the town, the more nervous Sheena grew.

Lucy decides to ease her mind by going over to her and give a pat on her back. This causes Sheena to yelp and turn her head to her.

"Hey, relax Sheena. It's just me." Lucy chuckled. Sheena blows out a heavy sigh before they both look back to the front. "I know you're nervous in seeing your fellow Mizuhans again after all these years. I had the same feeling too when I'm about to see my father again after being separated from each other for 7 years."

"That long?" Sheena said as she looked back at her.

Lucy nodded. "Our relationship was strained after my mother's death. In order to get away from the emotional stress, my father focused on his work so much that he completely forgot all about me. That was what led me to run away from home and join Fairy Tail. But after going missing on Tenrou Island along with most of my friends for seven years, we realized all the hardships the people who remained at our guild had to go through during that period. It made me wonder if my father ever cared about me when his daughter supposedly disappeared. So I decided to pay him a visit, with Natsu and Happy accompanying me on my journey."

"Did you and your father make up after the reunion?" Sheena asked.

"Well…there was no reunion. Because when we got to his merchant's guild, we realized that a month before my return, my father passed away." Lucy said grimly.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Sheena said apologetically.

"It's okay." Lucy smiled at her. "I felt devastated because we couldn't see each other one last time before he died. But at the time, I couldn't cry because I don't know if I ever truly loved him. But Natsu told me that whether I choose to cry or not, it has nothing to do with my father. Then, when I got back to my apartment, I realized that while I was gone, my father had been sending presents to me every year on my birthday. And when I read his final letter to me, realizing that he thought about me every day, and hoping that we can see each other again, that was when I finally let my tears out, realizing that even after everything that had happened between us, I had always loved him."

"That's nice." Sheena said before Lucy places her hand on her shoulder.

"Sheena, I believe that despite everything that happened between you and your people, I'm sure they are wondering how you are doing while you were gone. So have faith that everything is going to be fine." Lucy said encouragingly to you. Sheena nervously nods her head in response.

"I'll try." Sheen replied.

"That's the spirit." Lucy winks an eye at her.

"You know, you're really lucky to have someone like Natsu as your friend." Sheena said with a wan smile.

"Huh?" Lucy said, taken off-guard by her comment.

"I guess despite how dumb he may be, he does take things seriously when it comes to his friends." Sheena said. "I mean, why else would he be so quick and concern over trying to rescue you and the others as soon as possible? Darren told me everything that happened in the West Forest."

"Well…I…" Lucy struggled to answer as her cheeks blush. But Wendy suddenly runs past them and places herself in front of everyone.

"Halt." Wendy said flatly as everyone stop at their tracks. "I sense a huge presence coming towards us."

"Yeah, I feel it too." Natsu said as he, Happy and Carla go over to her. Erza, Lucy, Sheena, Darren, Alicia, Yuri, Estelle, Karol and Judith draw their weapons as they and the others get into their fighting stances.

"Are they praetors?" Darren asked Wendy and Natsu.

"No. It's something else." Wendy replied. Sheena gasped when she suddenly remembered what else is lurking outside the town of Mizuho.

"On our right!" Natsu suddenly shouted. Everyone turned to see about thirty living plants dashing past the trees at rapid speed. Fifteen of them are leafless trees with two oversized pumpkin heads on both lower branches and four large roots that serve as their feet. The other half of the large group are humanoid plants with two large buds as their fists, and a large blue iris and a single eyeball as their faces.

"Be careful everyone! The forest outside my hometown is filled with Pumpkin Trees and Boxer Irises!" Sheena warned.

"And you are only telling this to us now?" Yuri asked in annoyance.

"Umm…yeeeaaahhh…" Sheena replied sheepishly as she cringes her teeth.

When one of the boxer irises is near the group, it leaps into the air and pulls its fist back as it falls towards Gray. Gray quickly responds by swinging his left arm horizontally through the air.

"Ice Make: Battle Axe!" Gray shouted as he launches a horizontal blast of ice at the iris, which slices through its stem and its body parts lands onto the ground.

A pumpkin tree crawls over to Estelle and swings its pumpkin heads at her. Estelle blocks two horizontal punches from the tree with her shield and she quickly thrust her rod at it. The rod stabs into the tree trunk and Estelle fires a blast of energy from the tip of her weapon. It blasts out from the back of the trunk and the tree turns into ashes.

Yuri swings his sword horizontally, cutting through the stem of a boxer iris. After stabbing her spear into the ground, Judith clings onto its hilt and performs a twirling kick at two pumpkin trees who go over to her. Alicia swings her yo-yos around a pumpkin tree and a boxer iris, wrapping them around their bodies and pulls them over, allowing Darren and Erza to go over to the monsters and swing their swords to slash through their midsections. Wendy jumps into the air and performs a somersault as she generates wind from her feet.

"SKY DRAGON'S CLAW!" Wendy shouted as she swings her leg down and fires a huge gust of wind at two boxer irises and a pumpkin tree.

Natsu uses his flaming fists to punch off the two pumpkin heads from a pumpkin tree's branches before delivering a powerful kick to its trunk, sending it flying through the air and colliding against two boxer irises.

Lucy throws her whip at a boxer iris and successfully strikes it at its eyeball, sending it stumbling backwards. Happy and Carla flies over to it, wrap their tails around its arms and carry it up into the air. They drop it a few seconds later and it landed on top of a pumpkin tree.

Karol swings his axe diagonally to slash through a pumpkin tree and Noel fires her revolvers to shoot down two boxer irises and two pumpkin trees. Finally, Sheena throws a paper into the air and above the last five boxer irises and pumpkin trees. She swiftly made several hand gestures and many more papers magically appear above the monsters. The papers illuminate purple light and create a huge explosion to wipe them out.

However, when the smoke is cleared, everyone sees fifty more boxer irises and pumpkin trees making their way over to them.

"There's more of them!" Karol yelled as everyone stand close to each other and get into their fighting stances again.

"Let's just show them what we got!" Gray added.

Suddenly, the fight is interrupted when everyone could feel the wind violently blowing through the air. Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia and the others yelp as they hold up their arms in front of their closed eyelids while the monsters stop at their tracks.

As Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Sheena and the others lift their heads up to see what is going on, they could barely see a large white airship flying above the trees. Judging by its appearance, Darren and Alicia are guessing that it is about the size of a double-decker bus. The ship momentarily flies over them before it made a U-turn. It flies over to a nearby grassy field and it folds its wings upwards as it slowly descends to the ground. Everyone sees that the airship is shaped like a rectangular, with large angular wings on both sides. There are several square glass windows on the upper level of the ship on both sides, and a much larger dome-shaped window on the front. Four metal legs that serve as landing gears extend from the bottom of the airship before it lands safely onto the ground.

The door on the right side of the airship opens up and forms into a ramp, revealing a young man with slightly long but neat black hair and black eyes. He is dressed in a black shirt, a long black trench coat with silver lining that goes down to his ankles, a silver plate on his left sleeve, black fingerless gloves, black boots with silver plating and two black scabbards on his back with a strap that went over his right shoulder and under it to wrap around his left side.

With a wide, goofy smile plastered across his face, the man waves his hand at Team Natsu and the others.

"Hey guys." He greeted cheerfully. He drops his arm and wobbles side to side as he walks down the ramp. But only a few seconds later, the man falls off the ramp to the side and collapses onto the grass.

Team Natsu and the others stare at the man dumbfounded before they and the monsters look back at each other. The monsters cry and charge towards them again.

"GUREN BLAST!" A voice bellowed as a large blast of crimson energy fires from one of the windows of the airship and wipes out four boxer irises and three pumpkin trees who are the nearest to Team Natsu and the others.

As the other surviving monsters stop again, Team Natsu and the others look back at the airship to see a red-haired woman with a red headband aiming her right hand at the enemy. She is dressed in a dark tan vest with shorts, revealing her midriff and a dark red sleeveless sweater underneath, a white belt with a silver buckle, black shoes and long dark red stockings that goes up to her thighs, a white sleeve on her left arm and a silver gauntlet and shoulder pad that covers her entire right arm and hand.

As she lowers her right arm, the woman turns her head and scolded the pilot of the airship beneath her, "Sumeragi-san! You mixed up Captain Kirigaya's drink with your wine again!"

"Sorry! My bad!" Team Natsu and the others could hear a feminine voice inside the ship responding to the woman. The red-haired woman growls in frustration as she looks back at the monsters and raises her right arm. She aims her hand and fires several small blasts of crimson energy at them.

Meanwhile, two more people quickly got out from the ship through the door. One of them is a young adult man with spiky white hair. His left eye is green while the other is red. He is dressed in a red jacket with a black shirt underneath it, black gloves, two large black belts with silver buckles around his waist, a black hakama and steel-toed red boots. On the back of his waist is a large sword with a wide silver blade and a black hilt.

The other person is a girl with shoulder length salmon pink hair, armed with a white bow without a string in her right hand. She wears red and gold mechanical goggles over her head, a dark blue tracksuit decorated with the letters 'U' and 'A', black fingerless gloves, a dark red utility belt that holds several tools, oversized white boots and a jet pack strung over her shoulders.

"Ragna, help the captain out. I'll deal with the pesky creatures." The pink-haired girl said to the white-haired man.

"Got it, Mei." Ragna responded. As he gets off the ramp and attends to the black-haired man, the monsters cry at everyone at the airship as they charge towards them. Mei uses her jetpack to fly into the air and aims her bow at them. After extending her arm out in front of her bow, she pulls it back to magically form an arrow. She aims the arrow at the advancing monsters and the crosshairs in her yellow eyes widen. She fires the arrow and shoots through the trunk of a pumpkin tree. The pumpkin heads on its lower branches dumbly stare at the arrow through its trunk as it illuminates with bright white light. The arrow explodes and takes out the pumpkin tree itself and several nearby monsters.

"Amazing." Karol uttered as he and the others watch her in awe.

"She's a natural born Hawkeye." Darren added.

"What?" Erza arches an eyebrow at him.

"It's an Earth thing." Alicia said to her with a shrug.

"Captain, are you alright?" Ragna asked the black-haired man in concern after picking him up from the ground.

"Y-yeah, I'm sure I am." The man responded to Ragna, who removes his hands from his arms. The black-haired man frantically shakes his head and glances at Team Natsu and the others before looking at the monsters charging towards him and the airship. "Oh right, these guys need our help."

The man pulls out an all-black broadsword from one of his scabbards and holds it in front of him before saying to Ragna, "You should get ready to fight too."

"Right." Ragna said as he draws out his own sword.

"Hurry up, you guys! It can't just be me and Mei dealing with these guys!" The red-haired woman chided as she and Mei continue firing their hand and arrows at the monsters.

"Hai!" The black-haired man replied before he and Ragna charge towards the monsters. When Ragna is near three pumpkin trees, he swings his sword vertically on the nearest one to smash it into bits. He swings his sword horizontally to send the next pumpkin tree flying to the side. Finally, he takes out the last pumpkin tree by stabbing his sword through its trunk and swinging it upwards to slash through and remove it out from its top. One boxer iris leaps into the air and tries to attack him from the side. But Ragna swiftly turns to the iris, thrusts his left arm, and grabs it by its throat. He puts his sword down before delivering a powerful punch to its eyeball with his right fist, sending it flying into the air.

Meanwhile, the black-haired man swings his sword horizontally and slashes through the stem of a boxer iris as he runs past it. As he twirls around, he swings his sword vertically at another boxer iris who goes over to him and slashes it into half. One pumpkin tree fires some poisonous pollen at the man, who swiftly dodges it by moving to the side. He charges over to the tree and delivers a horizontal slash through its trunk as he runs past it. He turns around and finishes the tree off by swinging a vertical slash at its back. Another boxer iris goes over and tries to attack him from behind.

"Vorpal strike!" The man shouted as he swiftly turns around and thrusts his sword through the boxer iris's stem. As the blade of his sword illuminates with bright yellow light, it fires a huge blast of energy that incinerates the boxer iris and several other monsters in front of the man.

After witnessing many of its fellow monsters being eliminated by the humans, the largest pumpkin tree angrily pushes some monsters out of the way as it crawls over to the man. The man turns to the pumpkin tree and smirks.

"Are you a worthy challenger?" The man sneered at the pumpkin tree who is twice his size before it throws its pumpkin heads at him. The man easily deflects the heads with his sword before he charges towards it and delivers two horizontal strikes at its trunk. The pumpkin tree roars in pain as the man twirls around as he passes by it. When he is behind it, he delivers another horizontal slash on its back. The pumpkin tree turns around and swings its right pumpkin head at the man, but he ducks down to dodge the attack.

"Horizontal…" As the man gets up, he delivers one final horizontal slash across the pumpkin tree. "SQUARE!"

A square of sky-blue light expands outward from the areas the man had landed his strikes on the pumpkin tree. The pumpkin tree screams in agony as it falls backwards and burst into ashes as soon as its back hits the ground.

"I guess not." The man said disappointingly as he lowers his sword. He stares at the remaining pumpkin trees and boxer irises with a cold glare that causes the monsters to flinch. With their leader gone, the monsters turn around and flee for their lives. The man swings his sword horizontally through the air before he inserts it back into the scabbard on his back.

"Incredible!" Natsu cried as he and his friends had been watching the fight from where they stood.

"Thank you for helping us." Darren said to the black-haired man. He turns to Team Natsu and the others and gave them a cheerful grin.

"Who are you anyway?" Noel asked.

"More importantly, who are you?" The man asked as he points a finger at Noel and the others.

"Are you guys aware that you are near the sacred town of Mizuho?" The red-haired woman said sternly to Team Natsu and the others as she, Ragna and Mei walk over to them.

"Yes, because we are heading to Mizuho ourselves." Estelle said with her hands in front of her waist. Suddenly, Mei gasps and widens her eyes when she noticed Sheena standing among the large group.

"Is that Sheena Fujibayashi?!" Mei asked incredulously.

"Huh?" The black-haired man blinked at Sheena for a moment before he cried in realization, "Oh! It is! And my, has she all grown up."

Team Natsu and the others look at Sheena as she steps forward.

"Y-Yes, it's me." Sheena said to them nervously.

"I've heard stories about you, Fujibayashi-san. What brings the failed summoner back here?" The red-haired woman rebuked with her arms folded.

Sheena lowers her head as she remains silent. _'They haven't forgotten after all.'_

"Hey, come now, Kallen. Is that how you welcome a fellow Mizuhan?" The black-haired man said to the red-haired woman with a nervous smile.

"But it's the truth, captain!" Kallen cried at her superior. "Because of her, Mizuho still remains unprotected from its invaders after all these years."

"What?" Estelle said as she, Alicia, Judith and Karol stare at Kallen in shock.

"Even if that's the case, that doesn't renounce the fact that she was one of us, right? And I thought a biracial like you would know that." The black-haired man replied to Kallen with a smirk. Kallen momentarily gave a sullen frown to her superior before she turns her head away with a snort. The black-haired man walks over to Sheena with a warm smile on his face.

"Please forgive her. She may seem like a hothead most of the time but trust me. She does have feelings for others. Anyways, nice to meet you, Fujibayashi-san." The black-haired man bows to her. "My name is Kazuto Kirigaya, current captain of the Mizuho Defence Army. But you can refer me as 'Kirito' if you want."

"Clever." Darren commented.

"How so?" Natsu arches an eyebrow.

"It's 'Kiri' from his last name, and 'To' from his first." Darren explained to him.

Natsu stares blankly into space for a moment before he widens his eyes and uttered, "Oooooohhhhhh! I see!"

"Took you that long to figure it out?" Yuri murmured as he frowns at Natsu.

"Nice to meet you, Captain Kirigaya." Sheena replied softly as she bows back to Kirito. "And thank you again for helping us in our earlier battle."

"Don't just thank me. Thank the rest of my motley crew too!" Kirito gestures Sheena, Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia and the others to Ragna, Mei and Kallen. "The man with white hair is Ragna the Bloodedge."

"Yo." Ragna simply said as he gave a salute to them.

"The girl with goggles is Mei Hatsume." Kirito said.

"Please to be your acquaintance." Mei grins as she waves her hand at them.

"And finally, you guys are already introduced to Kallen Kouzuki here." Kirito said, pointing his fingers at the red-haired woman.

"I got nothing to say." Kallen said, glancing at Sheena for a brief moment before turning her head away again. Sheena frowns dishearteningly as she lowers her head again.

Kirito bursts out laughing as he looks back at Team Natsu and the others. "Oh, what a joker. We actually also have two other members in the airship whom I'm sure you'll love them-"

"Captain, if we are done chatting, let's escort these outsiders out of the forest and return back to Mizuho." Kallen reminded Kirito.

"Wait!" Estelle cried, getting Kirito and his teammates to look at her. "If you're heading to Mizuho, take us with you. We wish to see your leader."

"Our town does not accept outsiders! So no." Kallen reprimanded her.

"You don't understand!" Erza pleaded. "Right now, the whole of Fiore is engaged in a war with the Abbey and-"

"You think we don't know?" Kallen interrupted her. "The war does not concern Mizuho. As long as we remain neutral, no further destruction will fall upon our town."

"But what happens if the Abbey wins the war?! Are you going to let your home fall into their hands?!" Natsu cried at her.

"As long as it doesn't cost any lives, it's better to have their protection than not having any of it at all from the sacred beast." Kallen said, glaring at the Fire Dragon Slayer. Sheena grimaced as she kept her head down.

"How can you guarantee that the Abbey won't bring despair to your home?" Darren said as he steps forward. Sheena lifts her head up and stares at her friend. "We have fought against them ourselves, and we know how they are like. So how can you just openly welcome an organization when you don't even know what kind of people they are?"

"And what makes you any different from them?" Kallen inquired.

"If we are like the Abbey, we would already enter your territory by force rather than diplomacy." Darren replied.

"Darren." Sheena uttered.

"Hmmm, he does have a point." Kirito said as he rubs his chin. "Alright, we'll take you guys into Mizuho."

"But captain!" Kallen protested.

"Relax, Kallen. They seem like a nice bunch of people to me." Kirito holds up a hand to her before looking back at Team Natsu and the others with a demonic glare. "But if they do end up being liars, we will lock them up in the dungeons, hang them up by chains and let the hyenas eat them alive."

Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray, Darren, Alicia, Sheena, Yuri, Estelle, Judith, Noel and Carla flinch while Karol gulps as he, Wendy and Happy tremble in fear. But suddenly, Kirito clutches his sides as he erupts in laughter.

"I'm just messing with ya!" Kirito chortled as Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia and the others sigh wearily and frown at him in annoyance. After managing to bring his laughter to a halt, Kirito wipes away a tear and gestures them to the airship. "Come along now."

As Team Natsu and the others follow Kirito, Ragna and Mei from behind, Kallen holds out her arm in front of Erza.

"Until we can fully trust you, I'll be keeping a watchful eye on all of you." Kallen said flatly to Erza.

"I understand." Erza replied with a solemn nod. After lowering her arm, Kallen goes behind her and the two women make their way to the airship.

"Yui-chan, we're back!" Kirito cried cheerfully as he enters the airship.

"How was the fight, papa?" A small girl asked as she scurries over to Kirito. She has long black hair, black eyes and wears a plain one-piece white dress with a ribbon tied around her waist.

"Meh, pretty boring to be honest. I didn't even need my Dark Repulser at all." Kirito replied as he rubs Yui's head. He turns his head to the right and said to the woman in the pilot seat, "Sumeragi-san, we have guests entering the ship."

"Understood, captain." The woman replied as she turns the seat around to face him and Yui. She has long and wavy bright brown hair, brown eyes and dressed in a bright purple jacket, a dark purple and white shirt with a teal diamond on the centre underneath, black belt with a silver buckle, black gloves, white pants and black boots.

Kirito and Yui moves aside to allow Ragna and Mei enter the ship. As the two of them stand aside, Team Natsu and the others step inside the ship and have a good look at the interior.

At the front of the airship's interior is the cockpit where there are several buttons and controls on both sides and a single yoke in front of the only pilot seat which Sumeragi is currently sitting on. Right next to the doorway is a staircase that goes to the upper floor of the airship while the back of the interior consists of several seats placed in vertical rows on both sides.

"Hmm, this ship looks pretty neat." Noel commented.

"I know right?!" Mei asked ecstatically as she suddenly goes over to Noel, staring right into her eyes as she leans her head forward. "I am the one who designed it all by myself and while I admit it ain't that much, that's exactly why we like it! And I'm glad you share the same sentiment too!"

"U-um…c-cool?" Noel replied to her nervously.

"Relax, Mei." Ragna said nonchalantly as he gently pushes Mei away from Noel. "Please don't act overly excited in front of our guests."

As Ragna stood close to her, Noel could only stare blankly at him with her mouth slightly agape as she felt her heart skipped a beat. Ragna turns back to Noel and noticed the dumbfounded look on her face.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" Ragna asked.

"O-Oh…oh! I'm fine." Noel managed to blurt out as soon as she regains her vocal cords. After letting out an anxious chuckle, she places her hand on her chest. _'What is wrong with me?'_

When Noel sworn that she heard Mavis giggling inside her head, she looks up at the ceiling and said, much to the confusion of Mei and Ragna, "What's so funny?"

"Hello there. I'm Sumeragi Lee Noriega, the pilot of this airship." Sumeragi said to Team Natsu and the others as she extends her hand to Darren.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Darren smiled at her as he shakes her hand.

"Don't let her old age fool ya. She is one of the smartest and courageous soldiers Mizuho is ever blessed with." Kirito said, smiling with his fists placed at the sides of his hip.

"I'm still in my early thirties, captain." Sumeragi said to Kirito with a lopsided smirk.

"Why do you have to ruin the drama, Sumeragi-san?" Kirito said disappointingly as he hangs his head and droops his arms.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Yui." Yui said to Wendy as the two girls shook hands.

"Likewise. My name is Wendy Marvell." Wendy replied to her.

"And I'm Carla." Carla said to Yui as she stood beside the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Hello, Carla." Yui responded to the exceed.

"Ah yes." Kirito places his hand on Yui's shoulder and gestures Team Natsu and the others to her. "Finally, we have my lovely foster daughter, Yui."

"Hello everyone!" Yui greeted, smiling tenderly as she waves her hand at them.

"You're his foster daughter?" Lucy asked Yui in confusion. After Yui nods her head in response, Lucy looks up at Kirito and asked, "Kirito, how old are you?"

"19." Kirito said.

"Huh?! You are already a guardian at such a young age?!" Lucy asked incredulously.

"Yup. Yui doesn't have anyone to take care of her. So I volunteer to do it." Kirito explained. "And besides…" Suddenly, Kirito kneels to Yui's level and pulls her into a tight embrace. "Isn't she just the cutest girl you have ever seen?!"

"Yes papa, I am!" Yui replied as she hugs her foster father. Team Natsu and the others watch Yui and Kirito laugh cheerfully as they rub their cheeks against each other.

"Well, at least she's happy to be under his care." Alicia said with a small smirk.

"Ahem!" Kallen gave a loud cough, getting everyone's attention as Kirito and Yui stop their laughing. "Can we please start moving?"

"You got it." Kirito quickly stands up and ordered everyone present in the airship. "Please take your seats, everyone. Next stop…Mizuho!"

* * *

The airship flies over the forest as it makes its way to the town of Mizuho. As everyone sat together at the back of the airship, Kallen, Ragna and Mei stare blankly at Natsu, who is lying on the metal floor with one hand placed in front of his mouth and bloated cheeks and uses the other to clutch his stomach.

"Are you really sure he is going to be alright?" Ragna asked the other members of Team Natsu.

"It's a common thing for us, so yes." Gray said nonchalantly.

"If things get worse, can I shoot him?" Kallen muttered.

"Maybe we should have gotten you to carry him to Mizuho, Happy." Darren said to Happy as the exceed sat on his lap.

"Just a shame that if Sumeragi is right, the wall guards will shoot me and Natsu down." Happy replied just as Kirito and Yui walk down the stairs while they each carry a tray filled with cups of oolong tea.

"Is anyone thirsty?" Kirito asked everyone in the airship.

"I am." Lucy said as everyone except Natsu raise their hands. As Kirito walks over to them, Yui goes over to Sumeragi and hands her a cup.

"For you, Sumeragi-san." Yui said.

"Thank you, Yui." Sumeragi said as she grabs the cup. Yui turns around and walks to the back of the airship where Kirito hands a cup to Ragna.

"You made sure it isn't wine, captain?" Ragna asked.

"You're so funny, Rags. But yeah, I made sure." Kirito said as Ragna takes a sip of his tea.

"Don't think we haven't forgotten your due reprimand over mixing your wine with Kirito's energy drink again, Sumeragi!" Kallen shouted at Sumeragi from her seat.

"Sorry, ma'am." Sumeragi said apologetically with a bashful smile.

"Kallen, why are you still wearing your gauntlet?" Kirito asked, noticing the silver armor still placed on Kallen's right arm.

"To make sure our so-called guests don't do anything suspicious." Kallen replied, eyeing at Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia as she takes a cup of tea from Kirito with her left hand.

"She sure does play it by the book." Darren whispered to Erza as Kirito and Yui continue handing out cups of tea to everyone on board the airship.

"Indeed." Erza replied before they both drink their tea.

"Here we are, everyone! We have arrived at our destination!" Sumeragi proclaimed from the cockpit. Sheena gasped in response. She quickly drinks her tea and places the empty cup on Yui's tray.

"Thank you, Yui." Sheena said to her as she gets up and walks over to the staircase. Darren, Happy, Erza, Lucy, Gray, Alicia, Karol and Estelle look at each other before they also place their empty cups on Yui's tray and follow Sheena to the upper floor, while they also avoid stepping onto Natsu.

When they arrived at the upper floor of the airship, they go over to Sheena who is standing behind one of the windows and staring what is now front of them. She lets out a heavy sigh as Darren and the others stand behind her and look at the walled town in the distance.

"We're here." Sheena murmured.

As they approached the town, Sheena and the others noticed two men, dressed in black robes and red Japanese-like armour over them, standing inside one of the guard towers built beside a gigantic pair of metal doors. They look up at the approaching airship with their binoculars and spotted Sumeragi through the front window. The two men lower their binoculars as they turn to each other.

"Inform the barracks. Captain Kirigaya has returned." One of the men said to the other as the airship flies over the walls surrounding Mizuho.

Everyone in the upper floor watch the airship fly past the large hill where the town's palace is built on top of it. As they make their way behind the palace and hill, they see a facility located at the very end of the town. It is separated from the rest of the town by concrete walls, and Sheena and the others could spot many men and women doing their training on the ground.

As they descend towards the facility, the airship flies down to a large circular yellow landing pad. At the bottom of the stairs leading to the landing pad are ten armoured men and women, armed with naginatas and standing close to each other in a horizontal row. Sumeragi lands the airship right on the centre of the landing pad before she opens the door a minute later. As soon as Kirito steps out of the airship, the armoured men and women place their fists on their chests and bow their heads.

After stepping out of the airship, Team Natsu and the others look around the facility in awe as they follow Kirito, Yui, Sumeragi and Mei from behind. Kallen and Ragna follow Team Natsu and the others from behind to keep an eye on them. On their left are several wide wooden buildings which provides food, beds, and weaponry for the soldiers. On the right is a bare open area where most of the soldiers are currently doing their training by either carrying weights or sparring with each other with wooden replicas of their weapons.

As they walked past the armoured soldiers, a boy with short dark brown hair, dressed in a white short-sleeved uniform, a black belt with a silver buckle, black pants and white shoes, approaches Kirito and the others. The boy is accompanied by two tall men who follow him from behind. They wear black robes with white armour over them, and they carry long mechanical machineguns with them.

"Welcome back, Captain Kirigaya." The boy said as he and the two men bow before Kirito.

"At ease." Kirito replied to them as he holds up his hand. "How are things while I'm gone, Shinji-kun?"

"Everything is fine, sir." Shinji said as he and the two men look back up at him. He stares the people behind Kirito and his teammates in confusion. "Captain, who are these people?"

"We found them in the forest outside. They were on their way to visit Mizuho, so we picked them up and brought them here." Kirito said.

"And what is the purpose of their visit?" Shinji inquired. The members of Brave Vesperia walk up to him and bowed.

"My name is Estellise Sidos Heurassein, mayor of the town of Zaphias. I wish to see the leader of Mizuho. It is regarding our war against the Abbey." Estelle explained.

"We believe your town has a source of power that has helped you fend off its invaders for generations. If we could join forces, and you let us borrow this power of yours, we can turn the tide against the Abbey." Judith added. Shinji frowns at them for a moment before he turns around and gets out a lacrima from his pocket. As they wait, Yuri, Noel, Sheena and Erza turn to their right and watch Mizuho's soldiers do their training.

"This town does train its soldiers well." Erza commented.

"Indeed. If we have dedicated warriors like them on our side, it can benefit us in winning the fight against the Abbey." Yuri said.

"Hopefully we'll be able to convince them to join us." Noel said before looking back at Kallen over her shoulder. "We already know it won't be easy though."

"Understood, your Majesty." Shinji said before turning off his lacrima. He looks up at the two armoured men in front of him and they all nod their heads to each other. After putting away his lacrima, Shinji turns around and said to Estelle and the others, "We shall take you to the emperor's palace. He will explain everything to you when we get there."

"That's fantastic!" Karol cried happily as he, Estelle, Judith, and Alicia smile in relief.

"Thank you so much." Estelle said gratefully as she bows to Shinji again. Team Natsu, Darren, Yuri and Noel smile as well, but Sheena could not help but worry.

* * *

Shortly after leaving the barracks, everyone followed Shinji through the town of Mizuho. Shinji's men stayed behind to look after the barracks and soldiers.

Although the streets look almost empty with a few people walking around, the town itself is calm and peaceful. The buildings are small and mostly made of wood. As they pass by a few shops and restaurants, the customers and patrons are peacefully doing their everyday lives without a care in the world. They also spotted small group of children laughing and playing with their wooden toys at the side of the road. Team Natsu and the others could not help but feel like they are in a state of peace and tranquillity as they walk down the streets. Perhaps it was the bright green grass and verdant trees grown between and behind the buildings that helps give the town its own unique personality compared to most other towns in Fiore.

After leaving the town's market area, everyone is now walking through the residential area where the distance between buildings are now further from each other. Some of the houses have their own wells and small rice fields. There are also a few thin rivers streaming through the area with small wooden bridges built over them. It is also where Team Natsu and the others have a clearer view of the large concrete walls beyond the buildings. The walls surround the entire base of the hill and there are guard towers built far apart from each other.

The townspeople bow to Shinji, Kirito, and his teammates with respect as they, Team Natsu and the others walk pass by them.

"Good day, Ikari-san, Kirigaya-san." One of the townspeople greeted.

"May good fortunes be upon both of you today." Another townsperson said.

"Arigatou." Shinji replied as he and Kirito wave their hands at them.

"Likewise, everyone." Kirito added with a warm smile. When he heard the door of a nearby house opened, Kirito turns his head to see a boy with chin-length black hair and blue eyes stepping out through the doorway. "Good day, Nagi-san!"

Before he could put on his shoes, the boy looks up and glares at Kirito. "Oh. Hello, Kirigaya-san." He replied flatly.

As the townspeople walk away and continue with their lives, Kirito's eyes softened as he asked Nagi in concern, "How are you today, Nagi?"

"I was about to go for a walk." Nagi replied morosely. "Until you guys show up. So, thanks for spoiling the mood."

"Nagi-san, please understand-" Before Shinji could try to reason with the boy, Nagi turns around and shuts the door behind him. Shinji lets out a heavy sigh as he and Kirito lower their heads dejectedly.

"What's going on?" Wendy asked.

"That's Nagi Amano." Yui said to her. "His sister is the town's current summoner and…let's just say it's a really dangerous job."

"Kallen said that Sheena was a failed summoner." Lucy whispered to Natsu.

"Aye. I supposed that's why Sheena feels so troubled in coming back home." Natsu said softly to her.

"We should get moving. There's nothing we can do for him." Shinji said to Kirito.

"Right." Kirito said dully before everyone continue making their way to the palace.

After crossing a few rivers, everyone arrived at a wide-open concrete path that leads to an enormous pair of metal doors built at the centre of the walls surrounding the hill.

"Beyond these doors is the stairway to the Emperor's palace." Shinji said to Team Natsu and the others. "I've already informed him of your presence back at the barracks. He and our summoner will be expecting you."

"Thank you, Shinji." Estelle said before turning around to face her fellow members of Brave Vesperia and other allies. "Are you all ready?"

Darren, Alicia, Noel, Yuri, Karol, Judith and the members of Team Natsu nod their heads to her. But Sheena completely ignores her as she is staring at what is on their right.

"What are you looking at, Sheena?" Estelle asked. She and the others turn their heads to where Sheena is currently looking at. They noticed that beyond the small trees and a few farmhouses is the side of a large temple of Japanese-like architecture, and Sheena instantly recognized what it is.

"That is the Daigo Shrine, isn't it?" Sheena asked with a frown.

"Yes. It is." Kirito replied with a nod.

"Would it be okay if we can visit the shrine first before meeting the Emperor?" Sheena asked everyone as she anxiously grabs onto her right upper arm. "There are some things that…I had to attend to."

"Very well then." Estelle said calmly, bowing her head to her.

* * *

The Daigo Shrine itself is a single large temple located within the right side of Mizuho's residential area. It is surrounded by small trees to separate itself from the other houses in area and there is a red Torii gate that serves as its entrance. On the left side of the temple area are the shrine's water pavilion and bell tower. On the right are a few stone shrines and a lone path in the centre that leads to a larger stone pagoda, dedicated to the Mizuhans who gave their lives away for their beloved hometown.

As the others stood in the centre of the temple grounds, they quietly watch Sheena standing in front of the pagoda and bowing down in respect with her hands placed together.

After offering her prayers, Sheena opens her eyes and lowers her arms as she stands back up. She gazed sadly at the pagoda as she vividly remembered what happened that day nine years ago.

"Everyone…I'm so sorry." Sheena whispered.

"Sheena?"

As she snaps out of her thoughts, Sheena turns around and sees a family of three standing behind her. The couple stares at Sheena in bewilderment while their young daughter clings onto her mother's dress as she stood beside her.

"You're back." The man uttered. Sheena remains silent as she gave a solemn bow to them. When she stood back up, she sees that the couple's faces have turned from looks of confusion to ones of anger and frustration.

Sheena steps aside to allow the family of three to walk over to the pagoda. The couple get down on their knees and place their hands together while their daughter stood beside them and stared at the pagoda in awe. The girl later turns to Sheena and sees the woman standing there with her head down and her hair covering her eyes. She wondered what is currently going through her head.

Her parents stand up a minute later after they had finished paying their respects. Her mother goes over to her with a tender smile as she kneels to her level.

"Mom? Who is that woman?" The girl asked her mother as she points her finger at Sheena. Her mother places her hand on her shoulder and glares at Sheena.

"The one who is responsible for your brother's death." The mother replied icily. Sheena turns her head away from them, filled with guilt and sorrow. The family of three turn and walk away, bowing to Kirito and Shinji again as they depart from the temple grounds.

Team Natsu and the others look back at Sheena as she continues standing there in deep contemplation. Darren's eyes softened as he felt concern and worry for his friend.

"Sheena…"

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank AquaBluey, Amanny and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks!**

 **Kazuto 'Kirito' Kirigaya and Yui are from** _ **Sword Art Online**_ **, Kallen Kouzuki is from** _ **Code Geass**_ **, Ragna the Bloodedge is from** _ **BlazBlue**_ **, Mei Hatsume is from** _ **My Hero Academia**_ **, Sumeragi Lee Noriega is from** _ **Gundam 00**_ **, Shinji Ikari is from** _ **Neon Genesis Evangelion**_ **and Nagi Amano is from** _ **Weathering With You**_ **.**


	33. Mizuho, Part 2

_**Mizuho, Part 2**_

After climbing up a long flight of stairs, everyone reached the top of the hill where the Emperor's palace is built on to oversee the entire town. The royal guards allow them to enter the palace after they received word from the Emperor that he has arranged a meeting with them.

Kirito, his teammates and Shinji escort Team Natsu and the others to the Emperor's room. Two royal guards open the pair of sliding doors for them and everyone walk inside. The Emperor's room is the largest room in the palace. It is a wide-open area that has a large red chair placed on the centre of a podium at the other end. In front of the throne and podium is a long purple carpet and several cushions placed vertically on both sides.

"Take your seat, everyone." Shinji advised Team Natsu and the others.

Team Natsu, Darren and Sheena walk over to the cushions on the right. Natsu sits down on one of them and lets out a sigh of relief. When he heard Erza coughing, he turns his head to her and sees the red-haired mage glaring at him as she points her finger downwards. Natsu looks down and realized that she and everybody else around him are kneeling on the cushions rather than sitting down the usual way. Natsu quickly adjusts himself into a kneeling position and place his hands on his thighs. Erza nods her head to him and everyone face each other as they wait for the Emperor's arrival.

Kirito, his teammates, and Shinji kneel on the nearest cushions to the throne. There is one cushion beside Shinji however that is vacant and reserved for someone else.

A few minutes later, a girl emerges from a pair of red curtains at the right end corner of the room. Everyone turned their heads to her and see that she has long black hair, tied to two low ponytails which lay freely on her shoulders, light blue eyes and wears a sleeveless white hoodie with a pink tank top underneath, navy blue shorts and white and pink shoes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, all hail his Majesty, Emperor Tiga!" The girl proclaimed. She walks over to the vacant cushion beside Shinji and kneels between him and Sheena.

"That is Hina Amano, our town's current summoner." Yui said to Wendy as they kneel in front of each other.

"Amano? So she's related to that boy Nagi?" Wendy asked.

"Hai." Yui nods her head before Kallen shushed them. Another figure soon emerges from behind the curtains and everyone present in the room look at him. He is a middle-aged man with dark brown eyes, short dark brown hair, and a short beard. He is also dressed in white robes with a sleeveless golden haori over it, green hakama and sandals.

They watch the man walk over to the podium and set himself down on the throne. Everyone looked to their front and Kirito, his teammates, Shinji, Hina and Sheena solemnly bow their heads.

"At ease." The man said to them before turning his attention to his visitors. "Greetings, visitors. I am Emperor Tiga. Which one of you is Estellise Sidos Heurassein?"

"I am." Estelle replied as she turns her head to him.

"Welcome to Mizuho, Lady Estellise." Tiga said to Estelle before looking at a familiar figure from his past. "And it is certainly a surprise to see you here again after all these years, Sheena Fujibayashi." Sheena lets out a soft gasp in response. "What is your reason for your return?"

"That…is Sheena Fujibayashi?" Hina said, staring at the former summoner with her eyes widened.

"Yes." Shinji said to her as he nods his head.

When Estelle sees Sheena being unable to reply due to being overwhelmed with guilt and shame, she looks back at the Emperor and replied, "Sheena Fujibayashi has been very helpful to me, your Majesty. If it were not for her help, me and my associates would never find our way here."

"I see. Well done, Fujibayashi." Tiga said. Darren, Alicia, Yuri and Team Natsu smile at Sheena, but the former summoner remains silent. "Now then, Lady Estellise, I was told by Shinji Ikari that you are here to discuss with me about your war with the Abbey, and the power we use to protect ourselves."

"Yes, your Majesty." Estelle said. "Our nation is currently in turmoil as we are engaged in a civil war against the Abbey. For the last three months, they have been invading several towns across the southern parts of Fiore and forming a new country of their own. Unfortunately, my hometown Zaphias is one of those that had been attacked and captured. If we don't stop them now, your hometown will surely be the next to fall victim to their annexation, and our civil war will spread further north where Era and Crocus are."

"Forgive me for interrupting, your Majesty, but I've told them this before and I will say it again. We should stand by our neutrality in this war. There is no need for us to waste countless lives and resources on a war that is none of our concern in the first place." Kallen said to Tiga.

"But your Majesty, the Abbey cannot be trusted." Erza said solemnly to Tiga. "You and your people will be truly doomed if you allow your hometown to fall under their control."

"We have fought against their soldiers during our journey." Gray added. "Their superiors have been using mind control on countless innocent people to do their bidding. Do you really want your people to share the same fate as them, your Majesty? To have their freedom and emotions stripped away from others who want nothing but power?"

"Do you have any evidence?" Kallen asked Team Natsu and the others.

"I do." Alicia said as she holds up her bag. She turns to Karol kneeling beside her and asked, "Captain, can you take it out for me?"

Karol nods his head and opens the cover of her bag. He carefully takes the Orb of Heart out from her bag and holds it up to everyone present in the room.

"What is that?" Hina asked curiously.

"This is the Orb of Heart, one of the two legendary orbs that has the power to control people's minds and emotions. The Abbey has the other orb, the Orb of Mind. They are abusing its power to force innocent people into becoming their soldiers. They would have possessed this Orb as well if we haven't shown up at Loegres and stop them from retrieving it from the city's dam." Alicia explained.

"Your Majesty, I know you wish to keep your hometown safe by isolating yourselves from the outside world. But I believe in these dire times, it is best for all of Fiore to come together and fight against a common enemy. Your hometown is known for using a sacred power to keep outsiders away for generations. We are hoping you would lend us this power to fight against the Abbey." Estelle said.

Tiga nods his head to Estelle. "I completely understand the situation. Unfortunately, even if I agree to form an alliance with you, we currently do not have possession of this power that has kept our home safe for years." He said.

"Why is that?" Yuri asked as he, Team Natsu and the others look at the Emperor in confusion.

"Because I failed my mission…" Sheena said grimly as everyone present in the room look at her. "To form a pact with the sacred beast known as Volt."

"What is this sacred beast anyway?" Karol asked.

"It is a long story." Tiga said. "But I'm concerned that explaining to all of you would intrude Fujibayashi's privacy."

Sheena shakes her head. "It's alright, your Majesty. You may explain it to them."

"Very well." Tiga bows his head. "For many generations, Mizuho is protected by the sacred beast known as Volt. It has the power to control thunder and lightning and uses them to defend our hometown from monsters and invaders. But if we wish to continue being under its protection, we send out the spirit summoner to the Temple of Lightning every year to renew our pact with Volt. However, nine years ago, Volt did not recognize Sheena as its master and killed everyone in her expedition, including the chief sage. Since then, Mizuho is left unprotected, and every summoner who came after her has also failed in their mission."

"I was chosen by the sages to be the next summoner to renew the pact with Volt." Hina said nervously. "And my mission will be conducted tomorrow."

"Even to this day, I couldn't understand what went awry during my mission." Sheena said as she began to tremble. "But what I do know is that innocent people have died…because of me."

As Team Natsu and the others gaze at Sheena, Darren realized how much pain and trauma his friend had went through from the incident, and how she had never gotten over it even after nine years had passed. The people of Mizuho put their faith in her in renewing their pact with Volt, and she failed. Because of this, Sheena could not help but blame herself for the deaths of all the people who accompanied her in her mission, as well as countless more when her hometown is left unprotected without Volt's magic during the time she had left. It is probably why she has difficulty opening to others and finding a new place where she belonged ever since. Darren sighs inwardly as he finally understands why Sheena cherishes him as her friend so much. He is her only friend. Without him, Sheena would not be able to solidify her commitment to continue living her life while carrying the blame for the deaths of her fellow Mizuhans during all her years of hiding.

Darren also could not help but share the same feelings Sheena has when he lost his father. How he too blamed himself for his death because of how stubborn and irresponsible he was back home. If only he could have done something to make his family proud back then, the relationship between him and his father would have been much better. He closes his eyes and ponders for a few moments, trying to think of a way on how he can help his friend make up for her failure and overcome her traumatic past. Shortly, his lips form into a small smile when he soon thought of an idea.

"Your Majesty," Darren said as he turns to Emperor Tiga. "If you may, we would like to accompany Hina Amano to the Temple of Lightning tomorrow."

"What?" Sheena said as she stared at Darren curiously.

"My friends and I will provide protection for your summoner, and Sheena can even assist her in forming the pact with Volt." Darren explained.

"No! Mizuho does not accept assistance from outsiders!" Kallen barked at Darren.

"Kallen Kouzuki!" Tiga chided, causing the red-haired woman to look back at her leader in shock. "I implore you to use diplomacy in my palace."

"Forgive me, your Majesty." Kallen said, placing her forehead against the floor as she bows down to the Emperor. After Kallen gets back up, Tiga looks back at Darren.

"What is your name?" Tiga asked Darren.

"Darren Leong."

"Darren, I will discuss your suggestion with the sages."

Darren smiled and bows to the Emperor. "Thank you, your Majesty."

"I will also take your offer for an alliance to consideration, Lady Estellise." Tiga said to Estelle.

"Thank you so much." Estelle replied as she, Judith, Karol and Alicia bow to him.

"Until the sages and I have come to a decision, I allow all of you to stay in my palace." Tiga said to his visitors before ordering his two closest associates, "Kirigaya, Ikari, escort our guests to their rooms."

"Yes, your Majesty." Kirito and Shinji replied in unison as they bow to Tiga.

"This meeting is adjourned." Tiga said. Immediately, Sheena gets up from her cushion and makes her way towards the doors.

"Sheena?" Darren said in concern. He quickly gets up and manages to catch up to her right before she places her hand on the door. He places his hand on her shoulder and turns her around. "What's wrong?"

"Darren…I appreciate what you are trying to do for me. But…I'm sorry. I…I just can't do it." Sheena said bluntly.

"Sheena..." Darren said, but Sheena whirls about and opens the door.

"Please…I need some time alone." Sheena said before she steps out of the room and closes the door behind her. As Darren stares sadly at the door, Hina walks over to him from behind and places her hand on his shoulder.

"I'll try to talk to her." Hina said calmly to Darren.

"Thank you." Darren replied before Hina opens the door and leaves the room to search for Sheena.

* * *

While Kallen, Ragna, Mei and Sumeragi have return to their quarters located at the other side of Tiga's palace, Kirito, Yui and Shinji escort Team Natsu and the others through the west wing. Although Darren still feels concern for his friend, Erza and Estelle advised him to give Sheena some privacy and that the only thing they can do now is hope for the best.

"Each room can house up to four people, so you don't have to worry if there is enough space for all of you to rest well." Shinji said reassuringly.

"But there are two exceeds with us, and both are equivalent to one person." Natsu said, scratching his head.

"Aye. So, if there are fifteen of us, or technically, fourteen, and one room can hold up to four people, then that means there'll be one room that only houses two people." Happy said, rubbing his chin.

"What's with that smile forming up on your face?" Carla asked frowning.

"What if the last room houses a male and female together?" Happy giggled with his paws in front of his mouth.

"Why am I not surprised?" Carla remarked in annoyance.

"Or for the last room, we can have Happy, Carla and one of us sleep in separate beds from each other." Gray said.

"Huh?!" Happy said incredulously.

"Speaking of beds, they are all separate single beds. So none of you have to worry about sharing the same bed in the same room together." Shinji smiled. This causes Happy to groan as he lowers his head and droops his arms in disappointment. Carla sniggered at this display.

"Heh." Carla whispered to herself.

Darren sighs before asking the captain, "Kirito, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure thing. What is it?" Kirito asked.

"Do you know of a man named Archer?" Darren inquired.

"Archer?" Kirito arches an eyebrow before his eyes widen in realization. "Oh! That would be the nickname of Emiya, a former captain of the Mizuho Defence Army. How do you know him?"

"My friends and I actually bump into him during our journey." Darren said.

"I see. How is he doing?" Kirito asked.

"He's alright. Although we don't see eye to eye at first, we are in good terms with each other now, and he is currently stationed in the town of Petunia." Darren said.

"It's good to know that he is still doing well for himself then." Kirito said.

"What exactly happen to him?" Lucy asked.

"According to my father, shortly after Sheena failed to form to a pact with Volt nine years ago, the monsters roaming outside attacked our hometown. We ultimately managed to drive them out, but some lives were still taken that day. So out of shame, Emiya banished himself from Mizuho, and we never see him again ever since. My father took over him as the new captain for the next eight years. But eventually, he left as well, and I was appointed as the new captain of the Defence Army." Kirito explained.

"Who is your father?" Judith asked.

"Something that I honestly don't want to talk about." Kirito said grimly.

"I'm sorry." Judith said apologetically.

"It's alright." Kirito responded with a smile. "Anything else to say?"

"Kallen sure is kinda grouchy, isn't she?" Wendy asked.

"Yup, she sure is. But like I said before, she does have a good heart once you get to understand her a lot more." Kirito replied.

"I heard you mention that she is a biracial. Is that true?" Alicia asked.

"Yes." Kirito said as Yui holds up her finger and swings it down vertically through the air. She brought up a menu in front of her and taps a few buttons, much to the awe of everyone behind her, Kirito and Shinji. She brings two portraits of Kallen and a man with the same red hair, red headband, and blue eyes as her.

"She and her brother Naoto were actually born outside Mizuho." Yui explained. "Her mother is a Mizuhan who left her hometown. After her parents both died, she and her brother move to Mizuho and they both fought hard to earn the approval of Emperor Tiga and the Mizuhan people. They eventually accept them as citizens of Mizuho, and her brother joined the Defence Army shortly after to prove his loyalty to them." Yui's eyes softened as she swings her finger up through the air to put away the portraits and menu. "But eventually…he died during the monster attack that happened after Sheena's failed mission."

"I see." Estelle said dishearteningly.

"Her brother is the only relative she had left after the deaths of their parents. So it's no surprise that they were both close to each other." Yuri said.

"No wonder why Kallen distrust Sheena too." Lucy murmured sadly.

There was an awkward moment of silence among everyone until Shinji spoke up to lighten up the mood, "Well, we're here."

Everyone find themselves in a hallway where there are four sliding doors on each side and placed a few meters apart from each other.

"Alright, you guys can decide among yourselves which rooms you want to stay in. At the meantime, Yui and I will whip out some food for all of you for dinner." Kirito said to everyone as he and Yui fold their arms.

"Hai! You'll never guess what's for dinner tonight!" Yui said with a wide smile. She and Kirito turn around and hold each other's hands as they stride through the hallway and make their way to the kitchen.

Team Natsu and the others turn and slide open a door to one of the rooms. They see that it is a simple oriental-style bedroom with sand green walls and tatami flooring. There are four futons placed on the floor and a meter apart from each other, as well as a wide window at the other end of the room and a tall bonsai-like tree in a black pot placed at the right end corner.

"This room looks comfy." Karol said.

"It reminds me of the room we stayed in Balsam Village, doesn't it, Lucy?" Erza asked.

"Sure does." Lucy chuckled. "We enjoyed ourselves back then."

"Yeah." Natsu grins. "Erza, Gray and I were such heavy-hitters when it came to our pillow fight, and Lucy was even sent flying out of the room."

While Darren, Alicia, Shinji, Noel, Yuri and Brave Vesperia stare at the Fire Dragon Slayer incredulously, Lucy's smile immediately distorts into a scowl as she muttered, "Actually, I stand corrected. We enjoyed ourselves…for some part."

"A-Anyways, make yourselves at home. I'm sure you guys must be exhausted from your journey here, so I advised getting some rest before dinner is served." Shinji said to everyone as Alicia walks over to the bonsai tree.

"That's a beautiful bonsai tree you have here." Alicia commented as she examines the bonsai tree and gently slides her fingers on its leaves.

"Oh, that's not a bonsai. It's actually a chokkan tree." Shinji said.

"Yeah, that's what they call it in Balsam Village too." Lucy said to Alicia.

"Funny." Alicia chuckled. "Back in my world, we called it a 'bonsai'."

"Your world?" Shinji said, staring at her incredulously.

"It's a long story." Noel said to him.

"Wait, how do you even know what a 'bonsai' is?" Darren asked, staring at Shinji curiously.

"Oh um, because your friend said it first?" Shinji replied.

"Even if that's the case, the way you reply to her sounds as if you already know what it is beforehand." Darren said.

"Well…here in Mizuho, we just call it a chokkan. That's all you need to know." Shinji replied, trying to maintain his calm demeanour.

"But I already said that there's a similar plant grown in Balsam Village too." Lucy said, causing Shinji to flinch.

"Umm…coincidence?" Shinji shrugged as he smiles nervously at Lucy.

Darren gazes at Shinji with an arched eyebrow for a few moments before he cups his chin and said, "You know, I sure do wonder how the sushi and tempura in this town taste like. That's what I'm guessing Kirito and Yui will be making for us tonight."

"Oh no, they definitely aren't. Unlike Japan, this place doesn't have sushi and tempura." Shinji corrected him. A devious grin instantly appears on Darren's face, while Shinji widens his eyes and drops his jaw in horror as he realized his mistake. "Oh dear."

"Ah ha!" Darren exclaimed as he points a finger at Shinji. "My assumptions are correct! You're actually from Earth, aren't you?!"

"Huh?!" Shinji said incredulously.

"Back at the barracks, I find it weird the way you turn around and get your lacrima out, as if you're having difficulty using it, then you're familiar with what a bonsai tree is, and now you know there's no such thing as sushi and tempura in this hometown and mentioned Japan! So admit it! You're just like me and Alicia!" Darren shouted. Shinji screams as he whirls about and tries to flee, but Darren quickly catches him by his arm.

"Don't run away, you coward! Face me and tell us the truth like a real man!" Darren bellowed at him.

* * *

After admitting defeat, Shinji lets out a heavy sigh and folds his legs as he sat down on the floor. He lifts his head up to see Team Natsu and the others sitting on the floor in front of him.

"Darren is right. I am from Earth. And I'm surprised to know that Darren and Alicia are from my world too." Shinji admitted.

"You didn't know there are other people out there who are from Earth like you?" Noel asked.

"I've been here in Mizuho for the last three months. I never set foot outside town once." Shinji replied.

"How did you end up here in Earth Land?" Natsu asked.

"Well, the last thing I remembered about my world was me going straight to bed after finishing my homework. Then when I woke up, I found myself in the middle of the forest outside Mizuho, and I was soon chased by some pumpkin trees and boxer irises. When the monsters caught up to me, I was thinking _'Haha! It's all just a bad dream! I'll wake up soon!'_. But when one of the pumpkin trees bite my arm, that's when I finally realized _'Oh my God! It's all real!'_. But just when I thought I was going to die, Kirito and his friends arrived at the scene with their airship. They rescued me from the monsters and ask me where I come from. When I told them I am from Tokyo, they were extremely confused, and that's when I realize I'm not on Earth anymore. I started to cry because I have no idea where I am, and I have nowhere to go. So, Kirito and Yui decide to let me stay in Mizuho. Of course, Kallen initially oppose the idea, but Kirito tells her _'Weren't you originally born outside Mizuho too?'_. So, Kirito and Yui allow me to stay in the palace with them and they even gave me a job as the Emperor's adviser. How awesome is that?" Shinji ends his explanation with a light-hearted chuckle.

Team Natsu and the others continue staring blankly at Shinji until Gray simply replied, "Cool."

"It's nice to know that the Mizuhans are treating you well, but do you know that we at the Magic Council are looking for magicless people like you?" Noel said.

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"We initially thought you guys are from a parallel world known as Edolas, until we learn from Darren that you people are actually from Earth. We feel that this world full of magic is not safe for people like you, so we are providing refuge for all of you until we can find a way to transport you back to your home world." Natsu explained.

"Wait, what?" Shinji said incredulously.

"Yes." Alicia nodded. "They are helping to bring us back home. Would you like to come with us, Shin-"

"NO!" Shinji cried in alarm, much to the bewilderment of everyone in front of him.

"Why not?" Darren asked.

"Because…" Shinji frowns as he sadly lowers his head. "I'm a loser back in Tokyo. No matter how hard I study, people in school continue to pick on me, and my father rarely shows any love for me. I'm a total outcast. But here…I'm actually respected by everyone around me. I'm a loyal subject to the Emperor, and all the people here show care and admiration for me. It's like, I finally found a place where I belong. I like it here. If I go back to Earth, I'm simply going back to a life of pain and misery."

"But surely there are still some people back in Earth who are concerned about you. Have you ever thought about how worried your father must be right now while you are gone?" Erza asked.

Shinji snorted and looked back up at everyone. "Please, do you honestly think my father ever thought about me during my disappearance?"

"I never get along with my father either. But when my friends and I gone missing for seven years, he worries about me every day. He truly does care about me, and I fail to realize it sooner." Lucy said.

"Wow. If only I could trade fathers with you." Shinji said miserably. Darren groans at him.

"Look, I know you despise how your life turns out. My life is messed up too, so is Alicia's. But Earth is still our home. We are born to live our lives there." Darren said.

"If you guys hate your lives over there, why do you two still want to go back home so badly?" Shinji asked Darren and Alicia.

"Because my mother is waiting for me. After my father died, I'm the only man in the family left who can take care of her. I don't have any siblings, so my mother is all alone right now. If I don't return to her soon, then I'm just being selfish for only thinking about myself. And I learnt my lesson the hard way through what happened between me and my former friend, and my father." Darren said.

"For me, I'm honestly just like you." Alicia said to Shinji. "I too initially thought of staying here in Earth Land, with Brave Vesperia. But after spending more time with Darren and Team Natsu…and after seeing how much courage Darren has displayed to keep himself moving forward despite all the hardships and obstacles…I decided I want to become strong as well." She paused as she tightens her grip on Darren's hand. "So that when we get back home, I'll be strong enough to face my parents…and change my fate."

Estelle, Judith and Karol smiled at Alicia, while Lucy glances at how tightly her friend is holding onto Darren's hand right now. She looks at Natsu, who is sitting beside her, and she quickly turns her head away as her cheeks blushed. As Shinji stares wordlessly at Alicia, contemplating what she had said, Darren places his hand on his shoulder.

"Shinji…" Darren said. "Everything will be fine."

Shinji briefly stares at Darren before he lowers his head again and lets out a sigh.

* * *

Sheena stood in the middle of a wooden bridge over a pond located in the palace's garden, watching the fish swimming around freely in the water. Lucy and Archer are wrong after all. Ever since she came back here, she received nothing but contempt from Kallen and the relatives of the fallen members of her doomed expedition. She knew this would happen though ever since she reluctantly agreed to escort Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia here. Why would anyone in the right mind welcome and forgive a person who caused the deaths of so many innocent people?

Despite being only eleven years old at the time, she knew that the people of Mizuho relied on her to renew their pact with Volt. The members of her expedition, including the town's chief sage, also put their faith in her, believing that she can bring peace and protection to their hometown for another year. But she failed miserably as the sacred beast does not recognize her as its master. Not only did she feel like a failure for being rejected by the sacred beast, but she also feels guilty and responsible for the deaths of her believers. And now because of her, her hometown is still left unprotected from her enemies after all these years. Many more people have died during that time, and this of course made her feel even more guilty. Now she is no longer just a failure, but also a coward for letting more of her fellow Mizuhans die for nothing while she goes into hiding.

Sheena felt that she is beyond salvation at this point. While she does feel bad for rejecting Darren's offer to help her, she knew whatever he is trying to do for her is useless. Even if she accompanies the current summoner to the Temple of Lightning, what are the odds of success? Every summoner after her had died, so what is the point of clinging onto hope that this time, they will succeed in forming a pact with the sacred beast? Sheena lets out a disheartened sigh. Everything is too painful for her to think of right now. But perhaps, it is her fate to be hated by her people forever.

"Fujibayashi-san?"

Sheena looked up and turns her head to the left, seeing Hina standing at the other end of the bridge.

"Lady summoner." Sheena greeted Hina as she turns and bows solemnly to her.

"At ease." Hina said calmly. As Sheena stands back up, Hina walks over to her and extends her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sheena Fujibayashi."

Sheena remains quiet as she shakes Hina's hand. The two girls turned and stared at the pond together.

"Fujibayashi-san…" Hina uttered, placing her hands on the bridge's railing. "As the summoner of Mizuho, I would like you to accompany me on my mission to the Temple of Lightning tomorrow."

"Were you even listening to me back at the throne room?" Sheena said, not looking at the summoner. "You know what happened to all the members of my expedition. They died because of me. And they sacrificed their lives for nothing…to protect a disgraceful coward like me."

"I know, Fujibayashi. I have heard stories about you." Hina said.

"Good. So don't go near me." Sheena said flatly.

"But I'm serious. I need your protection." Hina said solemnly. "You are the only summoner to survive your encounter with Volt. And I believe the other summoners who came after you died because the sacred beast only wants you to be the one who will form a pact with it."

"Volt didn't recognize me as its master because I'm no good. So, I advise you turn to someone else." Sheena said.

Hina shakes her head and clasps her hands together as she holds them in front of her chest. "Sheena…to tell you the truth, even just standing here right now, I'm scared of what is going to happen to me tomorrow." She said dejectedly. "The sages chose me to be the next summoner because the people of Mizuho recognized me to be one of most talented mages in town. Since then, I was taken away from my home, and train everyday under the sages to prepare for the day I will face Volt. But…I never wanted any of this."

Sheena finally stopped staring at the pond as she backs away from the railing and turns to Hina.

"I just wanted to have a normal life with my mother and brother. And because every other summoner after you had died trying to form a pact with Volt, I'm afraid that I'll be next. And I'm worried of what will happen to my brother and mother if I were to die."

Sheena's mouth gapes open as if Hina's words had struck her heart.

"While I was away for the last twelve months, Captain Kirigaya and Shinji told me that my relatives worry about me daily, and how disheartened they are as we draw closer to the day I'll be sent to the Temple of Lightning." Hina took a gulp as she tries to fight back the tears that are starting to form in her eyes. "I honestly miss them too. There was never a day that I could rest easy without them in my mind. I want nothing more but to see them again…and reassure them that everything is going to be alright. But…I fear that that day will never happen. I fear that I will die as a failure…and never being able to see my family one last time before I leave this world. Sheena…unlike me…you were born to be a summoner…while I was just chosen to be one." Hina sniffled as she could no longer hold back her tears. Sheena noticed that a few loose tears are starting to flow down her cheeks like tiny rivers. "I'm not strong enough, Fujibayashi-san…I'm scared…I really am…"

Sheena just stared wordlessly at the dispirited summoner. Hina just wants to live her life normally with her family, but her wish is taken away when the sages chose her to be the next summoner. Despite her strengths and talents, Hina is not strong and confident enough to face the sacred beast. And if she is to share the same fate as the other summoners before her, her death will surely hit her brother and mother hard. She couldn't help but feel partially responsible for putting Hina in such a difficult position as well, for if she had succeeded in her mission back then, Mizuho would never sent anybody else to the Temple of Lightning every year, only to meet their unnecessary demise.

Sheena had witnessed earlier how the family of three still had difficulty getting over the death of a relative back at the Daigo Shrine. And if Hina dies too, her brother and mother would go through the same thing as them. Sheena clenches her fists tightly in frustration. Just how many more innocent Mizuhans must die and suffer because of her?

As she stood in place, she vividly remembers her conversation with Emiya back at Petunia yesterday.

* * *

"What are you doing outside of Mizuho, Emiya? Did something happen?" Sheena asked Emiya as they sat in front of each other outside the boundaries of Petunia.

"I left nine years ago." Archer said.

"That…That's the same time I left Mizuho too." Sheena said.

"It was shortly after you left Mizuho." Archer said. "After you failed to form a pact with Volt, monsters from the outside took the opportunity to attack our hometown. We managed to drive them off in the end, but because they were stronger than we expected, they did damage a portion of Mizuho, and many lives were lost that day. I felt ashamed for not being able to save them, so I renounced my position as captain of the Defence Army and left."

"So it's my fault that you became a failure and went into exile." Sheena said dejectedly.

"Fujibayashi-san, please. Don't blame yourself." Archer said. "Right now, from what I've last heard of them before living my life in the West Forest, Mizuho is still left without Volt's protection after all these years. I guess that would mean that every person who succeeded you have failed. And that is why I believe you are still the only one who is capable of bringing peace and stability back to our home. So I hope one day, you would return to Mizuho and finish what you started."

As Sheena gazed at him, Archer places his hand on her shoulder and bows his head.

"Please Fujibayashi-san…your people need you…" Archer looks back at her with a solemn frown. "I need you."

* * *

Sheena's eyes furrowed, realizing that Archer is right after all. The people of Mizuho, especially Hina, do need her help. Although she has suffered so much pain and trauma from her failure, it is her people who are suffering even more, and it is up to her to put an end to it. Throughout her journey, she had witnessed how much Fairy Tail, Brave Vesperia, Yuri, Noel and Darren had done to overcome their obstacles. Now it is time for her to do the same as well.

Sheena suddenly gets down on a knee and solemnly bows her head before Hina, much to her surprise.

"Hina Amano…" Sheena uttered. "I accept your request to accompany you to the Temple of Lightning. I promise I will not let anything bad happen to you, so that I take you back home to see your family again."

Hina stares incredulously at Sheena until she could feel more tears cascading down her cheeks. Her lips curve up into a weak smile as she bows back to Sheena with gratitude.

"Thank you, Fujibayashi-san. Thank you."

* * *

The next day, Darren, Sheena, Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia, Yuri, Noel, Kirito, his teammates, Shinji and Hina leave the palace and make their way to the barracks. Emperor Tiga and the sages have agreed to allow Team Natsu and the others to accompany Hina to the Temple of Lightning, believing that they will provide additional protection for the summoner when they face the sacred beast. Emperor Tiga has also agree to form an alliance with Estelle and the Magic Council if they can help Hina and Sheena succeed in their mission in forming a pact with Volt, much to everyone's delight. Kirito and his team will provide transport for all of them while Shinji is also tasked by the Emperor and the sages to accompany them so he can make an official report of the mission's outcome.

Upon arriving at the barracks, everyone sees a long line of Mizuhan soldiers, armed with naginatas and standing vertically at both sides of a long purple carpet that leads to the stairway of the landing pad where Kirito's airship is docked. The soldiers place their fists on their chests and bow their heads to bid farewell and wish good luck to Hina and Sheena as they commence their mission that has haunted Mizuho for nearly a decade.

"It is up to the both of you to restore peace back to Mizuho. Do your best." Shinji said to Hina and Sheena as he and Kirito stood behind them. Sheena lowers her head, worrying about the possibility that history will repeat itself. But when she felt Hina grabbing her hand, Sheena looks up to see the summoner giving a tender smile to her. Sheena frowns as she remembers her resolve to put an end to her people's suffering, and she gave a solemn nod to Hina. The two summoners look back to the front and walk towards the airship with Kirito, Shinji, Team Natsu and the others following them from behind.

Everyone board into the airship and take their seats. As she sat at the cockpit, Sumeragi flips several switches and presses a few buttons before turning to the passengers.

"Is everyone ready?" Sumeragi asked.

Kirito sees everyone nodding their heads to him before he turns to Sumeragi and replied, "Ready."

"Alright." Sumeragi looks back to the front and grasps onto the yoke. "Next stop, the Temple of the Lightning."

Alicia places her hand on Sheena's shoulder as she sits beside her. "Don't worry Sheena. Whatever happens, we are here for you." She said reassuringly to her. Sheena responded with a small nod.

"Wait a minute, we're in an airship!" Natsu cried in realization as he sat on his seat. "That would mean-"

As the airship lifts itself up from the landing pad, Natsu's face suddenly turns green. He hastily places a hand in front of his mouth and Gray and Lucy, who are sitting beside him, back away and stare at the Fire Dragon Slayer in disgust.

"Oh come on! Not again!" Gray shouted in annoyance as Natsu removes his seat belt and collapses onto the metal floor. Everyone, except Gray, Lucy and Sheena, chortled in amusement. Sheena stares incredulously at the current display for a moment before she manages to crack a smile and starts laughing along with her friends. It was as if for a brief moment, all of her doubts and worries have disappeared.

Soon, the airship flies away from the barracks and makes its way to the Temple of Lightning.

* * *

At the forest, Lieutenant Lhant sheathes his sword into his scabbard at the left side of his waist after he and his expedition had eliminated a large group of pumpkin trees and boxer irises. He turns around to see the other twelve praetors behind him. Two of them are women dressed in the same grey long-sleeved leather robes with yellow highlights as him while the others are regular praetors in white, all armed with bows and arrows.

"Let's go." Lhant ordered. He turns back to the front and the praetors continue walking through the forest while passing by the dead pumpkin trees and boxer irises lying on the ground.

Suddenly, one of the women in grey came to a halt. She swiftly turns to her right and looked skyward.

"What's wrong, Sophie?" The other woman in grey asked as the other praetors stop as well.

"Cheria, Asbel, I sense something above us." Sophie said, still staring at the sky.

Asbel, Cheria and the other praetors look up to see Kirito's airship flying high in the sky and heading towards somewhere.

"What is that?" Cheria asked.

"I don't know. But it seems to have flown off from the direction where Mizuho is located." Asbel said.

"I can sense them inside that ship." Sophie said flatly.

"Who?" Asbel asked as he and Cheria stare at her.

"Fairy Tail…" Sophie replied as she looked back at them. "And the woman with the Orb of Heart."

Asbel and Cheria look at each other and nod their heads. They and Sophie turn to the other praetors.

"Everyone, we are not heading towards Mizuho anymore. We are changing our objective." Asbel said. Cheria holds up her arm and points her finger at the direction where Kirito's airship had flown off to.

"We are going to follow that airship." Cheria ordered. The praetors nod their heads to their superiors. Cheria turns her head to Sophie and places her hand on her shoulder. "Sophie, lead the way."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Amanny, AquaBluey and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks!**

 **Hina Amano is from** _ **Weathering With You**_ **and Asbel Lhant, Cheria Barnes and Sophie are from** _ **Tales of Graces**_ **.**


	34. Facing Volt, Part 1

_**Facing Volt, Part 1**_

The airship arrived at the range of small mountains located at the other side of the forest. Sumeragi flies the ship over to one of the mountains where the Temple of Lightning is, and she lands it safely in front of the entrance. Everyone gets out of the ship and Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia, Noel, Yuri, Darren and Alicia stare at the entrance to the temple in awe. The entrance itself is carved and sculpted at the bottom of a stone cliff. In front of the opening that leads into the interior of the temple are six gigantic pillars with a rectangular-shaped roof. There are also two door-shaped stone windows on both sides of the entrance and a stone sculpture of a wyvern built on top of the roof.

"Wow, this looks something straight out from Indiana Jones." Darren uttered.

"Let me guess, that's an Earth thing?" Gray asked. Darren nods his head in response.

"I think you mean the Al-Khazneh in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra to be precise." Alicia said to Darren.

"Remember guys, we are not playing tourists here. We are on an important mission." Shinji said sternly to them. Darren, Alicia and Gray nod their heads before walking over to their friends. Unbeknownst to the three, Shinji looks side to side before taking out his lacrima. He made a small grin as he holds up the lacrima in front of him and takes a picture of the temple's entrance.

"Kallen, Mei, Ragna, Sumeragi, stay here and guard this area. Yui and I will accompany the summoners and the others into the Temple." Kirito ordered his teammates.

"Yes, captain." Kallen, Mei, Ragna and Sumeragi replied to Kirito in unison as they place their fists on their chests. Kirito nods his head and the four lower their fists. Kallen glances at Sheena for a moment before she narrows her eyes and turns her head away. Sheena briefly frowns at her before she and Kirito turn around to join Yui, Shinji, Team Natsu and the others.

"Let's go." Sheena said to everyone before they make their way to the entrance of the temple.

As soon as they enter the temple, everyone except Sheena is surprised to see the lamps on the walls light up, illuminating the hallway with bright aqua blue light.

"The sacred beast knows we are here." Sheena said. She walks in front of the large group and escorts everyone deeper into the temple.

"Just to let everyone know, this is actually the first time me and Yui are visiting the Temple of Lightning. So everything here is new to us." Kirito said to everyone with a sheepish smile.

"He's right. It's Kirito's father who has been escorting the summoners into the temple in the past." Yui added.

"I assume your father isn't strong enough to protect all the summoners who came after Sheena." Darren said.

"Hai. Despite my father's best efforts, even he is no match for Volt." Kirito said.

"Maybe that's why he left Mizuho as well." Yui said sadly to Kirito.

"Probably." Kirito said as he gently places his hand on Yui's back. Sheena narrows her eyes and clenches her fists.

"Mizuho and I have suffered long enough. It's time I finally stand up to Volt and put an end to all of this." Sheena said flatly.

"Not to mention, if we fail to obtain Volt's power and form an alliance with Mizuho, all our hopes in winning the war against the Abbey is lost." Noel said. Sheena nods her head to her before looking back to the front.

"We _cannot_ fail this time." Sheena said.

* * *

Outside the temple, Kallen and Ragna stood at the right side of the airship with their arms folded and eyes fixated at the trees in front of them. Mei is also staring at the trees while squatting on top of the airship and fiddling with one of her dreadlocks. Sumeragi sat inside at the cockpit, pouring some wine into a glass cup and takes a gulp.

Suddenly, the smirk on Mei's face disappears as the crosshairs in her eyes widen. She gets up and puts on her goggles.

"What's wrong, Mei?" Kallen asked as she and Ragna look up at her.

"I'm picking some forms of life within the five-kilometer radius of our current location." Mei said. As she adjusts her eyesight, she noticed three figures dashing towards her and her friends on the ground in incredible speed. "Goodness! They are coming in fast too!"

"Arms ready!" Kallen shouted as she holds out her armored arm while Ragna unsheathes his sword from his scabbard. Mei activates the hover soles beneath her boots and lifts herself up from the top of the airship.

Ragna knocks on the side of the airship with his other fist and called, "Sumeragi!"

"I know!" Sumeragi responded from the other side.

"2 point 2, no, 1 point 8 kilometers away from our current location, and still declining!" Mei yelled to her teammates as she watches the incoming enemies through her goggles and aims her bow at their direction. "One of them has gauntlets, the second has a sword, and the third one has-"

Mei cuts herself off when she swiftly hovers to the side to dodge a dagger, thanks to her boots. Kallen and Ragna also quickly move to the side and roll over the ground to dodge two daggers that ended up stabbing into the right wing and side of the airship.

"Daggers!" Kallen cried as she and Ragna got up.

Suddenly, Asbel, Cheria and Sophie emerge from the trees and charge over to Kallen, Ragna and Mei. Asbel heads over to Ragna and swings his sword horizontally at him. Ragna quickly swings his own sword vertically upwards to block Asbel's attack and the two men stay in a stalemate as they push their weapons against each other.

Kallen fires a blast at Sophie from her armored hand while Mei shoots an arrow at Cheria. The two praetors dodge them by rolling over to the side. As soon as they get up, Cheria leaps to the top of the airship to duel with Mei while Sophie charges over to Kallen and pulls her right gauntlet back.

Sophie throws her right fist at Kallen, who dodges it by turning her body to the side. Sophie's fist ended up slamming against the wing, leaving a huge dent on it. She swiftly turns to Kallen and swings her left fist horizontally at her. Kallen stops her attack by grabbing her left arm and she tosses Sophie to the air as she turns. Sophie performs a somersault before landing on the ground safely. She whirls about and runs back to Kallen. She delivers two swift kicks at her and Kallen blocks both attacks with her armored arm. But as soon as Sophie's feet lands back on the ground, she charges at Kallen and delivers a powerful punch to her gut. Kallen yelps as she bends over and Sophie takes the opportunity to lift her knee and kick her at the bottom of her chin, sending her stumbling backwards.

Cheria throws a few daggers at Mei, who deflects them by swinging her crossbow. Mei quickly spreads out her arms and aims the blasters around the bottom of her chest and attached to her jetpack at Cheria. To the praetor's surprise, Mei fires two long wires with metal plugs at the ends at her and they coil around her arms. Cheria stares at her in shock as Mei uses the back thrusters on her boots to charge over to her and prepares to swing her crossbow down on her head.

"Eat bow!" Mei exclaimed with a wide grin. However, two arrows suddenly fly over and cut off the wires to free Cheria.

"Huh?" Mei said in shock. Cheria quickly rolls over to the side, allowing Mei to fly past her and off the top of the airship. Mei puts away her bow and turns off the back thrusters. She quickly activates the hover soles again to soften her fall and she finds herself hovering above the ground. She turns around to see Cheria drawing out two daggers from the bottom of her sleeves and prepare to throw them at her. However, a net suddenly flies over to Cheria from behind and wraps itself over her. As Cheria collapses to the ground, Sumeragi runs over and places her right foot on her back while carrying a gun in her left hand.

"Told ya my capture gun works!" Mei yells happily to Sumeragi. Suddenly, Mei yelps as another arrow flies past her, barely missing her head by a few inches. She turns to the trees and draws out her bow. However, another arrow flies over and hits her bow. A wave of electricity suddenly surges through her bow and body, causing Mei to scream from the electrocution before she falls backwards and collapses to the ground.

"Mei!" Ragna shouted in horror as he witnessed his teammate's defeat. Asbel runs over to him from behind and swings his sword vertically at him. Ragna whirls about and blocks his attack by holding up his sword. However, while he continues holding his sword with one hand, Asbel curls his other hand into a fist and punches Ragna in the gut. This causes Ragna to back away and Asbel twirls around to deliver a horizontal strike at him. Ragna blocks the attack again by holding up his sword, but the impact sends him falling to the ground on his back. Asbel quickly aims the tip of his sword at Ragna's throat to keep him on the ground.

Several arrows fly towards Sumeragi, who quickly summons a circular barrier in front of her to protect herself from them. While she is being distracted, Cheria takes the opportunity to use the daggers that are already in her hands to cut the net. One arrow successfully cuts through the side of Sumeragi's left thigh. While she is weakened, Cheria gets herself up, causing Sumeragi to fall off her and lands on her back. Cheria removes the net off her and throws four daggers above and below Sumeragi. She places her hands together and cried, "Electrical circle!"

The daggers form a circle beneath Sumeragi and electrocutes her. She lets out an agonizing scream before she passes out.

After grabbing Kallen's armored arm to stop another attack from her, Sophie thrusts her right fist at her chest, causing her to yelp as she is sent sprawling through the ground. As Kallen finds herself lying beside Ragna, ten praetors emerge from the trees and run over.

Eight of the praetors aim their bows and arrows at Kallen and Ragna, while the other two go over to Mei and carry her up from the ground by her arms.

"Heh. Nice arrows you got." Mei commented, looking dazed. "Can they also create slime balls?"

"Silence!" One of the praetors yells at her as they drag her over to Kallen and Ragna.

"Who are you? And why do you come here?" Kallen asked Sophie wearily as the praetor now stands above her.

"We know you are assisting Fairy Tail. Where are they?" Sophie asked as the praetors drop Mei onto the ground beside Kallen.

"How do you know who they are?" Kallen asked, looking surprised.

"They, along with every other guild in Fiore, are enemies to the Abbey." Asbel said. "If you are providing them assistance, then you are considered our enemies too."

"You guys are from the Abbey?" Ragna asked.

"Correct." Cheria responded as she stood at the top of airship. "Tell us. Why are you helping them?"

"Actually, they are helping us. Our leader agreed to allow them to accompany us in performing a ritual." Kallen said to her.

"Your leader made a terrible mistake. The current Magic Council is using the guilds to spread fear and maintain their dictatorship over Fiore. And now, Fairy Tail and their allies have deceived your leader to have your people join forces with them and do their bidding. But we, the Abbey, are helping to liberate this country from their political corruption." Asbel explained.

"But, Fairy Tail told us that they have fought against you. They told us what horrible people you are." Ragna said.

"Not to mention, Sheena has been with them the whole time. So they have to be telling the truth that you are the bad guys." Mei added.

"Does this Sheena have black hair and dresses in purple?" Sophie asked, remembering how Mala describes the Mizuhan whom he and Eleanor had fought against in Loegres.

"Yes." Kallen replied to her.

"This Mizuhan you spoke of is a criminal." Asbel said. "One of our captains have fought against her, and she had killed many of our men during the past three months."

"No way." Mei said, staring at Asbel with her eyes wide. "This can't be true!"

"If we were lying, then why has she suddenly returned to your hometown now? Surely she had been scheming something during the nine years she had left." Cheria said.

"She and her friends said they want to form an alliance with Mizuho so that they can use our power to turn the tide in their war against the Abbey." Kallen said.

"Then don't you find it odd that they are trying to make use of your people for violence? Thousands of innocent people have died from this war already. If you continue to aid Sheena and Fairy Tail, many more lives will be lost." Cheria explained.

Kallen momentarily turns her head away from Cheria to contemplate. The praetor does have a point. Sheena left Mizuho because she is a failure. In cases like this, the person who had brought shame upon themselves and everyone around them should keep their head low and never show themselves again. So why does Sheena show herself again in Mizuho after all these years? To make up for her mistakes? But not only have the last eight summoners failed, why would Sheena be able to form a pact with Volt this time round when she had been rejected before? Kallen can't help but feel that there is something suspicious about Sheena's return, and bringing Fairy Tail and their allies along with her after all.

Kallen looks back at Sophie and asked, "If we agree to help you in apprehending Sheena and Fairy Tail, will you keep Mizuho out of the war and provide full protection for us?"

"Kallen!" Ragna warned her.

Sophie glances at Asbel who nods his head to her. Sophie looks back at Kallen and places her hand on where her heart is.

"You have our word." Sophie said solemnly as she bows her head. Asbel, Cheria and the other praetors lower their weapons and bow their heads to Kallen, Ragna and Mei as well. Asbel extends his hand to Ragna. The man glares at the praetor for a moment before he reluctantly grabs his hand and Asbel pulls him up from the ground. Sophie and a praetor help pull Kallen and Mei up from the ground as well while Cheria kneels and holds up her hands above Sumeragi, using her healing magic to help her regain her consciousness.

"Kallen, you can't be serious." Mei said concernedly to Kallen.

"Think about it." Kallen rebuked. "Our leader did say that the sacred beast does not recognize Sheena as its master. So what makes you think it will recognize her now?"

"Does this mean you don't believe in Captain Kirigaya and everybody else who put their faith in Sheena as well?!" Mei cried, actually sounding angry.

"I've always said that Mizuho should maintain its neutrality in this war, and if we are going to do that, we can't continue fighting against anyone." Kallen said.

"I fully agree with you. We, the Abbey, do not wish for unnecessary bloodshed as well." Sophie said to Kallen.

"I'm glad we came to an understanding." Asbel added. "We sincerely apologize for mistaking you as our enemies, and hope that we can closely cooperate with each other to stop Fairy Tail and the guilds of Fiore."

Mei grits her teeth and turns her head away from Kallen. Kallen quietly frowns at Mei for a moment before looking back at Sophie.

"We shall ask again. Where is Fairy Tail?" Sophie asked.

"They have headed inside the Temple of Lightning, along with our captain, Kazuto Kirigaya, and our summoner, Hina Amano." Kallen said.

"If we don't stop them, your captain and summoner will fall prey to their deception." Sophie said just as Cheria jumps off from the top of airship with Sumeragi in her arms and lands safely on the ground.

"Kallen, what is going on?" Sumeragi asked as Cheria places her down on her feet.

"We will explain along the way." Cheria said to the older woman. Kallen nods her head to Sumeragi. Cheria turns to Kallen and asked, "What is your name?"

"Kallen Kouzuki." Kallen said.

"Kallen, lead the way." Cheria said.

"Let's go!" Asbel yelled. Kallen walks in front of everyone and leads the praetors to the Temple of Lightning. Mei, Ragna and Sumeragi look at each other in concern before they reluctantly follow them from behind.

"Tell us," Cheria said to Kallen as they walk alongside each other. "What exactly is this 'sacred beast' that you spoke of?"

* * *

Sheena continues leading everyone deeper into the temple. They walk across a stone bridge built above a seemingly bottomless pit. Shinji cringes and trembles in fear as he and everyone else see the entire area is also filled with strange purple air. When they reach the other end of the bridge, everyone walks up a flight of stairs that leads into another empty hallway. The lamps on the walls light up again as everyone walks over to the other end of the hallway where there is another flight of stairs.

When they arrive at the top of the stairs, Sheena and the others find themselves standing in front of a gigantic pair of stone doors which has multiple lines, and three circular holes lined up vertically in the center. Sheena took a gulp as she gazed at the doors, knowing what is waiting for them at the other side.

"Is this it?" Hina asked as she and the others stare at the doors as well.

"Yes." Sheena replied with a nod. She walks closer to the doors and places herself in the center of a large floor tile with multiple lines that resembles a circuit board. Sheena takes a deep breath and said nervously to everyone behind her, "Guys…In the case that I ended up failing to form a pact with Volt again, I want you all to run away."

"What?" Natsu said as he and the others stare at her incredulously.

"Please…" Sheena pleaded. "I'm telling you…Volt isn't like any other beast you guys have ever faced. If I fail, just get out of-"

"No." Lucy said flatly. Sheena gasped and looked back at everyone. She sees Lucy, Natsu, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Darren, Alicia, Karol, Estelle, Judith, Kirito, Yui, and Hina smiling confidently at her while Gray, Erza, Yuri and Noel are frowning solemnly. Shinji also gave Sheena his best smirk while trying his best to conceal the fact that he is now shivering in fear.

"We are in this together now, Sheena." Lucy said. "No matter what happens, we are here for you."

"And don't worry about us." Natsu grins as he cracks his knuckles. "If that Volt jerk still doesn't accept you, we'll just beat the crap out of it until it changes its mind."

"Aye!" Happy added as he throws his paw up into the air.

"You can do it, Sheena." Darren winks an eye at Sheena as he gives her a thumbs-up.

"We believe in you." Wendy added, smiling cheerfully.

"T-That's right." Shinji replied as he slowly nods his head.

"Do your best!" Kirito cheered as he and Yui pump their fists into the air. Sheena stares at them in awe, completely overwhelmed with gratefulness towards her friends. She pursed her lips and quietly turns back to the enormous stone doors.

Sheena closes her eyes for a moment before she performs a few hand and arm gestures. When she finished by clapping her hands together, a huge circle magically appears beneath her feet. Everyone behind her watches in awe as the circle illuminates with bright aqua blue light. The lines on the large tile Sheena is standing on starts to illuminate as well. The light flows towards the stone doors and through the multiple lines that are on them. The three circular holes also light up brightly and the doors slowly opened.

Everyone walked inside a huge room with a large stage at the other end. There are two flights of stairs on both sides of the room that leads to a large balcony placed above the stage by pillars. On the center of the balcony is a picture of an X-shaped symbol with a tiny circle in the middle, and two additional small circles between the top and bottom of the X. There are also four huge door-shaped windows at the back of the balcony and a strange metallic circular object that resembles a podium placed in the middle of it.

Kirito and Yui hold up their arms in front of everyone except Sheena and Hina.

"Stand back." Yui said as Sheena walks over to the stairs on the left while Hina takes the other one on the right. Everybody else stood idly and observed the summoners walking up the stairs and heading over to the metallic podium at the center of the balcony.

When both summoners reach the upper floor and reunite with each other, Sheena and Hina hold hands and grasp them tightly. The two summoners nod their heads to each other and turn themselves to the podium in front of them.

Sheena and Hina take deep breaths and let go of each other's hands. They place their hands together and close their eyes as they begin the ritual.

"I summon thee, oh Lord of Lightning, for a humble request." Sheena and Hina both said in unison. "I wish to establish a pact with thee."

As Hina briefly paused, Sheena introduced herself, "I am Sheena Fujibayashi…"

"I am Hina Amano…" Hina added.

"From the hidden village of Mizuho." Both summoners said at the same time again. "I command thee to appear before me as I pledge myself to thee."

A few seconds later, some sparks of lightning appear above the podium. A larger bolt of lightning struck down on the podium and soon, more sparks appear to magically form a bright white circular orb, much to the astonishment of Team Natsu, Kirito, Yui, Shinji and everyone else.

The orb suddenly turns red and bursts out a huge gust of wind in front of Sheena and Hina. When the wind dies down, Sheena and Hina open their eyes and look up to see what is now in front of them. Hovering about the podium is a large circular orb with countless lightning bolts flashing inside its body. The only things that resemble a face are a big pair of piercing red eyes with bright yellow irises.

The summoners stare at the orb in horror, but it is Sheena who is trembling the most as just one look at it immediately floods her mind with many awful memories like a mighty tsunami.

"That thing…is Volt?" Erza uttered as she and the others stare at the orb in astonishment.

"There's no doubt about it." Estelle said while Shinji shook uncontrollably in fear.

Sheena lost her ability to speak as Volt stares right into her eyes. As cold sweat rolls down the sides of her head, Sheena vividly remembers the tragic incident that happened nine years ago. She couldn't understand what went wrong that day. All she had to do was to perform the right gestures and recite the correct words to receive approval from the sacred beast. All she needed to do was do what she had been practicing with the sages for the last twelve months and the mission would never go wrong. But it did.

When Volt gave that icy glare of disapproval to Sheena that brought shivers down her spine, it was as if every ounce of strength and confidence she ever had was instantly taken away. She could still remember the agonizing screams and miserable wails from all the members of her expedition as the sacred beast took their lives away with its deadly lightning magic. But what traumatized her the most was how the chief sage placed himself in front of her to save her life from Volt. And all she ever did that day was watched the man she admired the most die right before her and made her escape as she passes by the corpses of everyone who had put their faith in her.

Sheena hated herself for being a coward ever since. And as soon as she sees the exact same glare from Volt's eyes, she fears that history is about to repeat itself.

With her eyes wide, Sheena whimpered as she begins to back away from the sacred beast.

"I-I-It's just like before!" Sheena cried. "It's happening all over again!"

"Fujibayashi-san, please!" Hina pleaded her. "Get a hold of yourself!"

"I can't!" Sheena cried as she turns away from Volt and places her hands on her head as she squats. "I don't understand! Why is it looking at me like that?! I guess I'm just not worthy after all!"

Sheena and Hina both scream as the lightning bolts from Volt grew bigger and brighter, and the beast began making countless unintelligible sounds.

"HINA!" Kirito, Yui and Shinji shouted in horror at the same time.

"SHEENA!" Darren screamed to his friend as he, Team Natsu and the others look up at the summoners in concern. Hina hurriedly goes over to Sheena and squats beside her. She wraps an arm around her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down.

"Sheena, stay with me." Hina said softly to her.

"I…I can't…" Sheena replied as fear overwhelmed her. "W-Why is it making those sounds at us?"

"I am the lord of all that is lightning." Judith suddenly said. Sheena and Hina widen their eyes and turn to the Krityan at the lower floor.

"What?" Sheena said as she, Hina and everybody else at the lower floor stare at Judith in bewilderment.

"What are you saying?" Natsu asked.

"It's a language of the ancients." Judith replied. Everyone at the lower floor look back up at the summoners as the Krityan shouted, "Sheena! Volt is communicating to you with a language of the ancients! It's Krityan! Volt is speaking to you in Krityan!"

"Krityan?" Sheena said as she lowers her hands.

Kirito gasps and widens his eyes at Judith. "I get it now." He uttered. "Sheena and the other summoners failed before because none of them could understand the ancient language of Krityan."

"But luckily, we have someone here who can understand it for you, Sheena!" Karol shouted happily before turning to Judith. "Way a go, Judith!"

Judith smiled at Karol before looking back at Sheena and Hina. "Just look back at it as I say what it says to you!" She cried to the summoners. Both Sheena and Hina nod their heads to the Krityan before looking at each other.

"We can do this, Fujibayashi-san." Hina said to her with a reassuring smile. Sheena nods her head. The two women stand back up and face Volt again.

As the sacred beast continued making gibberish sounds to Sheena and Hina, the two summoners can hear what Judith is saying from the lower floor, "I, the lord of all that is lightning, ask for proof. Proof that you are worthy. Proof that comes from strength and heart."

Suddenly, Volt fires a huge bolt of lightning over Sheena and Hina and onto everyone standing at the lower floor. As the lightning strikes them, Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia, Darren, Noel, Yuri, Kirito, Yui and Shinji all scream in pain and agony before they all collapse onto the ground and pass out.

"EVERYONE!" Sheena screamed in horror as she and Hina run up to the edge of the balcony.

"NO!" Hina shrieked as the summoners see everyone lying on the ground unconscious. Volt watched as the summoners run down the stairs together and head over to their friends in concern and terror.

As Hina and Sheena place themselves in front of the motionless bodies of all their friends, the latter froze as clear images of the corpses of her former expedition members played inside her mind. Sheena places her curled fingers on the sides of her head as she trembled in fear. It is happening. It is all happening again.

"N-N-No…No…NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sheena screamed in despair as she falls on her knees.

"Fujibayashi-san! Calm down!" Hina cried as she kneels beside her and places her hands on her shoulders. "Nobody is dead! I can still sense their pulses!"

"NO! THEY'RE DEAD! THEY'RE ALL DEAD!" Sheena screamed in denial. "I-I-I knew it…I-It's all h-happening again! A-All of my f-friends…my f-f-followers…they are all dead because of me!"

"Fujibayashi-san!" Hina cried again.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Sheena shouted as she pushes Hina away from her. After finding herself sitting on the floor, Hina stares back at Sheena in shock and confusion. "I'm cursed! I'm awful! I only bring death upon others! I AM NOT WORTHY OF ANYTHING!"

Hina gasped in horror as she turns her head and sees Volt floating down to the lower floor. Volt made gibberish sounds as it glares at the summoners.

"Fujibayashi-san! Get up! Get a hold of yourself!" Hina screamed at Sheena. But her words fell into deaf ears as Sheena kneels where she is. As the lightning from Volt's body grew bright and big, Hina widens her eyes at the sacred beast, knowing that it is about to attack her and Sheena. "Fujibayashi-san! Please! The sacred beast is about to attack!" Volt's eyes grew wide as bolts of lightning struck down onto the floor and making their way towards Hina and Sheena. As Hina closes her eyes, letting her tears flow down her cheeks and prepare to embrace what is coming for her, she screamed one last time, "SOMEONE! HELP ME!"

Suddenly, as she whirled about, Sheena gets up and spreads her arms out as she stands in front of Hina. The lightning strikes down onto Sheena and she screams in agony.

"Fujibayashi-san…" Hina uttered as she stares at Sheena in front of her. "FUJIBAYASHI-SAN!"

When the lightning dies down, Sheena collapses on her knees and hangs her head. A few seconds later, Sheena slowly turns her head and looks back at Hina over her shoulder.

"Hina…run…" Sheena moaned weakly.

"Fujibayashi…" Hina murmured with tearstained eyes.

"Go!" Sheena cried woefully. "I-I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you. So at least let me die saving your life."

"No…" Hina said.

"GO!" Sheena screamed at her. As Volt makes gibberish sounds again, Sheena looks back at it with pleading eyes. "Please…let her go…it is me you want."

Volt gazed at Sheena for a moment before the stone doors slightly opened, leaving a gap wide enough for a single person to go through. Hina glances at the opened doors before looking back at Sheena. As Sheena continue gazing at Volt, Hina grits her teeth as she unsuccessfully tries to fight back her tears. She turns away from Sheena as she gets back up and runs her way out of the room.

When Sheena hears the doors closing, she closes her eyes and lowers her head, preparing to accept her fate.

* * *

Hina turns back to the doors after they have closed. As tears continue to flow down her cheeks, Hina falls on her knees and sobbed in despair. Sheena and the others are still trapped inside the room with Volt, and Hina felt completely helpless as she is unsure of what to do next.

"Hina!" The summoner stops crying when she heard Kallen's voice.

"Kallen?" Hina said. She turns around as she gets up and walks over to the edge of the stairs. Sure enough, she sees Kallen, along with Mei, Ragna, Sumeragi and thirteen other figures at the other end of the hallway. "KALLEN!"

"Hina, we're here!" Kallen shouted again.

Hina hurriedly runs down the stairs as Kallen and the others make their way over to her. When they reunite at the bottom of the stairs, Hina quickly goes over to Kallen and grabs onto her arms.

"Kallen! Guys! You have to help them!" Hina cried hysterically to her and her teammates with tearstained eyes.

"Hina, what's wrong? And where are the others?" Kallen asked concernedly.

"Sheena! And everybody else! They are inside the room with Volt right now!" Hina explained as she points her finger at the direction to the stone doors.

"They performed the ritual with the sacred beast without you?" Kallen asked frowning.

"What?" Hina said. "No! They-"

"I knew it! They threw Hina out of the room so that they can slay Volt and have the power for themselves!" Kallen bawled to everyone behind her as she turns around.

"That's crazy!" Hina cried, appalled by the bizarre accusations Kallen is making right now.

"Yeah, calm down, Kallen! Didn't she said that we need to help them?" Mei said, trying to reason with her teammate.

"What for?!" Kallen asked as she looked back at Hina. "If they do, they wouldn't have thrown you out of there!"

"I got out of the room because Sheena requested Volt to spare my life and open the doors for me! She saved me! And now we must help them!" Hina protested. "I can use my magic to reopen the doors like Sheena did earlier and-"

"Kallen Kouzuki, clearly your summoner had her mind rewritten by one of the members of Fairy Tail." Cheria said to Kallen.

"What?" Kallen and Hina both said to Cheria incredulously.

"Who are you anyway?" Hina asked Cheria before looking back at Kallen, Mei, Ragna and Sumeragi. "And why did you bring them here?!"

"It's okay, Hina. They are the Abbey, and they know Fairy Tail more than we do." Kallen explained.

"How do you even know that?!" Hina scolded.

"You're right, Cheria. Our summoner is clearly confused right now. There has to be a way to cure her ailment, right?" Kallen asked Cheria in concern.

"Don't worry. I advise you to hand over your summoner to me. Thankfully, I have a healing magic skill that can relive people from their brainwashing." Cheria said.

"My mind is perfectly fine!" Hina shouted furiously at Cheria.

"Hina! Quiet down!" Kallen snapped at Hina as she grabs onto her arm tightly.

"Whose side are you on?!" Hina asked Kallen furiously.

Kallen ignores her question as she looks back at Cheria and said pleadingly, "Please…help her."

As soon as Kallen hands Hina over to her, Cheria snatches the summoner away from her.

"Thank you, Kallen. Your co-operation has been greatly appreciated." Cheria said before she turns to Asbel and gave him a nod.

"Seize them." Asbel ordered Sophie and the praetors. To the shock and horror of Kallen and her teammates, Sophie swiftly punches Mei in the gut, causing her to fall onto her knees. As Sophie and another praetor quickly take the opportunity to grab her arms and place them behind her back, the other nine praetors draw out their bows and arrows and aim at Kallen, Ragna and Sumeragi.

"You bastards!" Ragna bellowed as he swiftly draws out his sword from his scabbard and swings it horizontally to take out three praetors in front of him before they could even fire their arrows. However, Cheria quickly holds out her other hand and aims at Ragna's head. Ragna yells as he suddenly felt huge amounts of pain inside his head, causing him to drop his sword and fall on his knees. Asbel rushes over to him and hits the side of his head with the bottom of the hilt of his sword. As soon as Ragna hits the ground, Asbel stabs his sword into the back of his right shoulder, causing him to yell in pain again.

"Rags!" Kallen cried to him in horror. When she heard the sound of a dagger being drawn out from a sleeve, Kallen turns back to Cheria and sees the praetor placing Hina in front of her and holding her weapon in front of her neck.

"Kallen…" Hina begged her for help.

"Hina!" Kallen cried helplessly.

"I knew it! We never should have trusted you!" Mei yelled as six praetors stood behind her and Sumeragi, keeping their arms behind their backs and have them kneeling on the ground.

"How could you do this? I thought you said you do not wish for unnecessary violence!" Kallen cried to Cheria.

"True. But ultimately, our objectives and motivation are still handed to us by our superiors, not our own." Cheria said. "Whatever orders they give us, we will comply, and so should all of our followers."

"But why are you getting us involved? We haven't done anything to you!" Kallen said.

"Our current mission is to stop Fairy Tail and their allies from forming an alliance with Mizuho." Sophie said as she walks over to Kallen. "That's why our original plan was to infiltrate Mizuho to eliminate them."

"But it doesn't matter! The alliance hasn't been finalized yet!" Kallen replied to Sophie.

"That is why Fairy Tail must be eliminated before it does. And when Mizuho becomes part of the Abbey instead, your people will be fine additions to our ever-growing army of soldiers and workers for our new nation." Asbel said.

"Basically, you're planning to drive us out of our homes and turn us into slaves!" Sumeragi cried.

"That was the so-called 'full protection' you promised us?!" Mei shouted.

"You monsters!" Ragna yelled before Asbel gave a twist of his sword, causing him to cry in agony.

"No!" Mei and Sumeragi cried in horror as all their anger towards the praetors vanished in an instant.

"If you wish to keep the summoner and your friends alive, you will allow us to have Hina open the doors to Volt's room for us." Asbel demanded Kallen.

"Never." Kallen replied icily.

"Very well." Cheria said as she pushes the blade of her dagger against the summoner's throat without hesitation. Hina screams in pain as she could now feel a drop of blood trickling down her neck.

"Stop!" Kallen screamed and reaches her hand out to Hina as she immediately lost her fierce demeanor. Cheria removes her dagger from Hina's throat and the summoner breathed heavily with tears cascading down her cheeks.

"I'll…I'll do as you say." Kallen said in defeat as she lowers her arm.

"Good." Cheria said before she holds her hand in front of Hina's throat and heals her wound. As Sophie goes over to Cheria and Hina, the three praetors whom Ragna knocked down earlier walk over to Kallen from behind. They grab her arms and place them behind her back before they force her to get down on her knees.

"If you guys think you can take the power of the sacred beast away from Sheena, then all of you are the biggest idiots I've ever met." Hina said to Cheria.

"Don't worry about us. If Kallen is right about Sheena being an incompetent fool who had brought doom upon your home, she and all her friends are probably dead by now. But my men and I on the other hand have been very capable of dealing with gigantic beasts before. And once we have slain your sacred beast and take its power, your people will have no choice but to follow our example." Cheria explained.

"Now move." Sophie said flatly to Hina.

As Kallen and her teammates helplessly watch Cheria and Sophie escort Hina to the stone doors of Volt's room, the red-haired woman lowers her head in shame as hot tears roll down her cheeks. She grits her teeth in frustration as she tried to comprehend what had happened.

" _What have I done?"_

* * *

Darren and Sheena sat together on the rooftop of their apartment in Underwood, smiling as they gaze at the stars that are shining brightly in the night sky.

"They're so beautiful!" Darren said aloud with his eyes wide.

"Told ya so." Sheena chuckled as she places her hands behind her head and lies back on the rooftiles. Darren continued staring at the stars with a wide smile for a few moments before turning his head to Sheena.

"Sheena, thank you so much for everything you have done for me." Darren said to Sheena gratefully. Sheena turns to Darren and stares blankly at him. Darren blushed for a moment, feeling nervous in expressing his gratitude towards his friend, but he manages to muster enough courage to continue. He takes a deep breath and said, "I…I still don't know much about this town, or…how I even ended up here in the first place. But…for the last seven days, you provided me a place to stay…and a place where I can work and make money."

"Even though that restaurant was seriously a load of crap?" Sheena asked with an arched eyebrow. The two friends erupt with laughter as Darren nods his head.

"Yeah." Darren agreed. When their laughter died down, the two friends look back at each other as Darren continued, "Seriously, I can't thank you enough. I'm glad to have met you. I'm glad that I have a friend like you here."

Sheena gasps softly as her cheeks blushed. She had never seen and heard anyone expressing their gratitude towards her in such a long time. She pursed her lips and frowns as fresh tears began to form in her eyes. Darren panicked, fearing that he had hurt his friend's feelings.

"Wait-Sheena! I-I'm so sorry! I didn't…um…I don't mean to…" Darren babbled as he tried to apologize to Sheena. But to his surprise, his friend chortled as she gets up from the roof into a sitting position.

"I'm not upset, dummy." Sheena chuckled as she wipes away her tears. Darren sighs in relief. When the two friends look back at each other, Darren noticed that Sheena's lips had formed into a weak smile. "To tell you the truth, I thought that I'm totally fine with being all by myself. But now…I realize there's nothing wrong with having someone in your life."

Darren smiled back at Sheena and replied, "I think so too."

* * *

"Sheena! SHEENA!"

"What?" Sheena murmured, swearing that she heard Darren's voice. As she lifts her head back up and opens her eyes, she sees Darren kneeling in front of her while placing a hand on her shoulder. Sheena also noticed Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza, Wendy, Happy and Carla standing behind Darren and facing Volt as they get into their fighting stances.

"Darren…" Sheena said, staring blankly at Darren. "You're alive…"

"Yup, I am." Darren smiles and winks an eye at Sheena.

Sheena looks over Darren's shoulder and stares at Team Natsu. "Natsu? Lucy? Guys?"

"Like I said, Sheena. You don't have to worry about us!" Natsu replied as he and his guildmates continue gazing at Volt.

"Yeah. That electrical blast which Volt did on us earlier?" Gray snorted. "We've been through worse."

Sheena lets out a chuckle, relieved to see her friends are alive and well.

"Everyone…you're alright!" Sheena cried happily.

"Damn right we are." Yuri said as he, Alicia, Noel, Estelle, Karol, Judith, Kirito, Yui and Shinji stood behind her.

"Well, it does hurt for me, but Estelle healed my wounds as soon as possible." Shinji said sheepishly as he rubs his arm.

"Sheena, can you still fight?" Noel asked.

"Uh-um, yeah." Sheena replied as she and Darren slowly get up from the ground.

"Come on Sheena, we still got a sacred beast to tame!" Kirito said as he and Yui smile confidently at Sheena.

"And we're going to do it together!" Happy cried with a grin.

"Remember Sheena. We are here for you." Lucy said, turning her head and smiling at Sheena. "Right?"

Sheena smiled at Lucy and nods her head. "Right!" She said before drawing out her papers.

Everybody else, except Shinji, get back into their battle positions as they prepare to fight against Volt. Volt responded to them with several gibberish sounds. As the lightning bolts inside its body grew brighter, Volt moves towards Sheena and her friends and prepare to attack again.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Amanny, AquaBluey and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!**


	35. Facing Volt, Part 2

_**Facing Volt, Part 2**_

"ICE MAKE: WALL!" Gray thrusts his right hand and creates a long and huge wall that goes from one side of the room to the other, protecting him and everybody else from several powerful lightning strikes from Volt.

Erza closes her eyes and magically dresses up in her Lightning Empress Armor while Lucy draws out one of her Celestial Spirit keys.

"OPEN THE GATE OF THE SCORPION! SCORPIO!" Lucy shouted as she swings her key through the air and magically summons a lean-built, dark-skinned man with short hair that is red on one side and white on the other. He has a long and large metal cannon on the back of his waist that is shaped like a scorpion's tail and dressed in a red and gold flower-shaped neck collar, black gloves, bandage-like material around his arms and legs, red-sheet like material around his waist that is kept up by a large belt with his Celestial Spirit symbol on it, and black shorts.

"We are ready, Lucy!" Scorpio said enthusiastically to his mistress.

"Right! Go over the wall and fire at Volt from behind!" Lucy ordered.

"Got it, Lucy!" Scorpio obliged. He runs over to the right side of the ice wall and leaps over it, making his way to the right staircase. Wendy also had jump over the left side of the wall and landed on the left staircase.

Volt made more gibberish sounds when it finally manages to destroy Gray's wall of ice. Natsu quickly blows huge amounts of fire out of his mouth to melt the debris of ice and turn them into droplets of water which splashed onto Erza, Darren, Alicia, Brave Vesperia and the others.

"Well, at least I don't need to shower when we return to Mizuho." Shinji commented, looking down at his soaked uniform.

As Volt moves towards them, it failed to notice Wendy and Scorpio running up to the upper floor. The two head to the edge of the balcony and Scorpio fires a huge blast of sand from his tail cannon at Volt.

"SAND BUSTER!" Scorpio shouted.

"SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!" Wendy shouted as she fires a huge blast of wind from her mouth. Both of their blasts combine into a large sand tornado and it collides against the back of Volt.

Sheena throws her papers onto Volt and made several hand gestures. The papers illuminate and explode, sending the sacred beast hovering backwards.

Judith enlarges her spear twice its original size and shouted as she pulls it back, "DRAGON'S MOON SPEAR!"

She hurls the spear into the air, and it flies over to Volt. When the tip of spear landed right between Volt's eyes, it created a huge explosion that causes the sacred beast to hover back once more.

"Star Stroke!" Estelle shouted as she swings her rod vertically upwards, sending a blast of white energy through the floor.

"Azure Edge!" Yuri yelled as he swings his sword vertically upwards as well and fires a blast of blue energy through the air.

"Digital Triangle!" Yui cried as she magically creates a green triangle in her hand and swings it over to Volt.

As all their blasts successfully hit Volt, Noel runs up the stairs on the left. When she reached the middle, she turns to Volt, jumps into the air, and aims her revolvers downward at the top of the beast. She fires multiple bullets at Volt, which made many gibberish sounds as it gets shot.

Volt soon retaliates by erupting a huge wave of electricity that goes in every direction. Erza quickly responded by slamming the bottom of her spear onto the ground, creating a huge circular shield in front of her. Lucy, Natsu, Darren and Alicia quickly go behind her, and the shield protected them and Erza from oncoming wave of electricity.

As Estelle screams, Yuri goes over and places himself in front of her. He wraps his arms around her and places his head on top of hers as an attempt to protect her from Volt's electricity. Thankfully for them, Yui holds up her hands into the air and forms a huge digital barrier over them, Gray, Happy, Carla, Judith, Karol, Sheena, Kirito, Shinji, and herself.

"Amazing." Karol said in awe.

Some are not lucky however as the wave sends Wendy and Scorpio flying backwards and slamming against the door-shaped windows behind them.

Noel screams as she also gets hit by the wave of electricity which sends her slamming against the ceiling. Fortunately, as she plummets through the air, Happy quickly gets out from Yui's barrier and flies over to her. He grabs her by wrapping his tail around her body and carries her to safety. Carla flies over to Volt while carrying Kirito with her tail around his body and the captain readies his Elucidator and Dark Repulser.

"Drop me!" Kirito said to Carla. As the exceed loosens her grip and drops him down towards Volt, Kirito began spinning vertically with both of his swords. "METEOR FALL!"

Kirito swings both of his swords vertically downwards onto Volt and lands back down on the ground after he passed by it. Volt backs away from Kirito and summons a lightning bolt down onto him. Kirito holds his swords up to block the attack, but Volt quickly hovers over to the left side of him and fires another lightning strike at his body, sending him slamming against the side of the right staircase.

"Yuri! Let's go!" Natsu shouted as he and Yuri run alongside each other.

"You got it!" Yuri replied as he readies his sword.

"Darren! Alicia! Show me your weapons!" Erza ordered as she turns around to face them. Darren and Alicia stare at her in confusion as they hold up their katana and yo-yos. Erza aims her spear at them and shouted, "Lightning Beam!"

Darren and Alicia watched as a beam of lightning fires from the tip of Erza's spear and landed onto the blade of his katana and the shells of her yo-yos. After seeing them illuminate in bright yellow light, they both look up at Erza who now has a smirk on her face.

"Give them a try." Erza said.

Darren and Alicia look at each other and nod their heads. Erza watches them run past her and head towards the sacred beast. She aims her spear at Volt and fires a beam of lightning at it to provide assistance for Darren, Alicia, Natsu and Yuri.

As Volt backs away from the impact of Erza's attack, Yuri came to a halt and swiftly swings two diagonal strikes with his sword.

"FRIGID BLAST!" Yuri shouted, creating two ice curves in front of him. He thrusts his palm forward and the curves burst into multiple blasts of ice. The blasts successfully hit Volt, but the sacred beast quickly recovers from the attack and hovers towards Natsu, who throws his arms back as he engulfs them in flames.

"FIRE DRAGON'S WING ATTACK!" Natsu shouted as he rushes towards Volt. He swings his flaming arms forward and delivers a strike across the left side of Volt as he rushes past it.

Alicia leaps into the air and swings her electrified yo-yos at top of its head. The blows of her attacks send Volt hovering backwards, which even made Alicia surprised by the increased power of her weapons.

"Incredible." Alicia murmured.

When Darren is near Volt, he lets loose a series of strikes with his katana, causing the sacred beast to back away and make a gibberish sound with every blow it received from him.

After Darren delivers one final vertical strike on Volt, Karol and Lucy yell as they run over to Volt from the left and swing their weapons at it. However, Volt suddenly forms a barrier of light around itself. When Karol's axe and Lucy's whip made contact with the barrier, a powerful force sends both of them flying through the air. Yuri runs over to Karol and catches him in his arms.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted as he rushes over to her. Before Lucy is about to made contact with the ground, Natsu dives forward and brings his arms forward as he slides through the floor. Lucy landed right onto his arms and Natsu manages to bring himself to a halt.

"Thanks, Natsu." Lucy said to Natsu as they smile at each other.

Volt quickly summons another wave of lightning bolts down onto Darren, Alicia and Erza. They all quickly roll or jump out of the way before the lightning struck down onto where they originally stood.

While Volt is distracted, Judith quickly runs over to her spear which is laying on the floor a few meters away from its current position. Volt turns to Judith and fires a bolt of lightning at her. Judith quickly turns to Volt and holds up her spear to block the attack. But the impact sends her flying through the air and slamming against the side of the left staircase.

"It seems it has raised its strength and defences!" Kirito said as he gets back up.

"I'll handle this, papa!" Yui cried as she quickly brings up several menus in front of her and presses multiple buttons in rapid speed. When Volt sees its barrier starting to disintegrate slowly, it quickly spots Yui and fires a bolt of lightning at her.

"Yui-chan!" Kirito cried to her. But luckily, Estelle runs over and places herself in front of her. She holds up her shield and blocks the attack, although the impact sends her feet dragging through the floor by several inches.

"Please give me more time!" Yui cried as she continued gazing at her menus and pressing the buttons.

"You heard her! Keep fighting!" Estelle shouted to everyone.

Erza, Noel, Natsu, Darren and Yuri yell as they run over to Volt. Noel and Natsu came to a halt when they are several meters away from Volt while the others kept running towards it. Noel fires multiple rounds at the sacred beast with her revolvers and Natsu unleashes his Fire Dragon's Roar attack. Volt's barrier remains intact however as it protects the beast from the attacks.

When Erza got close to Volt, she thrusts her spear at its barrier, but her attack failed to leave a scratch on it. Darren and Yuri also arrived in front of its barrier and swing their swords multiple times at it. But Volt briefly grew brighter as it unleashes another powerful force that sends Erza, Darren and Yuri away from it and sprawling through the ground.

Wendy and Scorpio jump off from the balcony and fall towards Volt from above.

"SKY DRAGON'S CLAW!" Wendy shouted as she performs a somersault and fires two huge gusts of wind at Volt from her feet.

"SAND BUSTER!" Scorpio shouted as he fires a blast of sand from his tail cannon again. However, both blasts did little to no damage on its barrier. Volt turns around and fires two lightning bolts at them. But Happy and Carla quickly fly over and grab Scorpio and Wendy with their tails. They pull them out of the way in time before the lightning bolts could hit them, and they landed onto the pillars behind them instead.

After making his long-barrelled cannon with his ice magic, Gray holds it up and aims it at Volt as he shouted, "ICE MAKE: ICE CANNON!"

Gray fires a huge blast of ice and it collided against Volt's barrier. But when the air is cleared, the barrier remains intact and Volt retaliates by summoning another bolt of lightning down onto Gray. Kirito quickly leaps over and swings both his swords, deflecting the bolt of lightning away from Gray and sending it landing onto the wall beside them instead.

As everybody else continue trying to fight Volt and its barrier, Sheena and Shinji stood where they are and watch them in awe.

"Everyone…" Sheena whispered. She could not believe how much Darren, Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia and the others are willing to fight against Volt for her sake. To help her redeem herself and bring peace and protection back to her hometown. And to also think that she would not be here right now if she had not agreed to help Darren and join Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia on their journey to save Earth Land.

Ever since her departure from Mizuho and Phantom Lord, she had always been alone. And for a long time, she thought that is how it should be. But ever since she agreed to help Darren and allowed him to share the apartment with her, she slowly starts to feel warmth inside her heart again. All her negative thoughts of how much of a failure she is were replaced or overwhelmed with thoughts of how fortunate she is to have someone who could bring her happiness every day, and give her a new reason to keep living her life to the fullest.

Initially, she was envious of Fairy Tail, Brave Vesperia, Yuri and Noel for becoming friends of Darren as well. It felt as if Darren is starting to distance himself away from her after regaining his memories of where he originally came. And Sheena felt that she is starting to lose the only person who has helped her keep moving forward. But now, after seeing Darren and the others risking their lives to fight against Volt for her really proves that he had always care for her. They have always care for her.

She was still never alone after all.

"Fujibayashi-san…" Shinji said, causing Sheena to turn to him. "You're very fortunate to make so many friends after your exile."

"Friends…" Sheena murmured to herself. Fresh tears soon form in her eyes when she realized Shinji is right. She may have lost everything after her failure nine years ago, but she had since earned something far greater.

Sheena wipes away her tears as she looks back to the front. When she lowers her arm, her eyes of sadness were replaced with ones of rage and determination.

Noel and Gray continue firing their revolvers and cannon at Volt. But as its barrier block the bullets and cannonballs, Volt fires two lightning bolts back at Noel and Gray. They both jump out of the way before the lightning lands onto where they originally stood.

As Noel and Gray land back on the ground, they turn around to see that everybody else except Yui are now breathing heavily with their weapons or arms lowered.

"This beast is tough." Natsu said wearily.

"Hang on everyone! I'm almost done!" Yui cried as she continues pressing many buttons while staring at the menus in front of her.

"But how much longer can we keep fighting?" Estelle asked worriedly.

Volt turns its attention to Darren and Yuri who are both kneeling on the ground in exhaustion. The beast proceeds to fire a huge blast of lightning at them.

"Darren!" Team Natsu and Alicia shouted at him in horror.

"Yuri!" Estelle, Karol and Judith cried.

Darren and Yuri look up for a moment and turn their heads away as the blast of lightning approaches them. But suddenly, multiple large papers fly over and place themselves in front of them, forming a wall that repels the blast and sends it back at Volt's barrier.

Darren and everybody else turn around to see Sheena still standing at the back of the room. But now, as she glares at Volt, her hands are placed together while her fingers hold up a piece of paper.

Sheena swiftly throws the piece of paper at Volt and it landed onto its barrier. She made several quick hand gestures and the paper multiplies all around Volt's barrier. The papers illuminate brightly and create a huge explosion.

"Great job, Sheena!" Darren said enthusiastically to Sheena.

"Thanks for saving our skins." Yuri said with a smirk as he gave her a thumbs-up.

When the smoke is cleared, Volt turns back to Sheena and prepares to fire a bolt of lightning back at her. But it suddenly felt a rock had hit its back. Volt turns around and sees Shinji standing at the edge of the balcony at the upper floor.

"Hey Volt! Over here!" Shinji cried to it as he waves his arm. Volt prepares to fire a lightning bolt at Shinji, and he cringes.

"ICE MAKE: SAUCER!" Gray shouted as he summons a giant spinning disc made of ice and fires it at Volt from behind.

"ANGEL RING!" Estelle cried as she aims her rod at Volt and summons a magical circle beneath it.

After feeling its barrier getting hit by the disc, which breaks into multiple pieces, Volt looks down and sees the magical circle shrinks and turns into a beam of light that hits the sacred beast from the bottom, causing it to make a gibberish sound.

"Alright, Estelle!" Natsu grins at her.

"Thanks!" Estelle smiled back at him.

"And thanks for the distraction too, Shinji!" Gray smirks at Shinji as he gave him a salute. Shinji laughed sheepishly as he rubs the back of his head.

"So, it can actually still be hit from the bottom." Lucy commented.

When a huge red rectangular button appears in front of Yui, a huge smile plasters itself across her face.

"I'M DONE!" Yui shouted joyfully as she presses the button. Everyone watched as Volt's barrier now appearing to the naked eyes and it breaks and shatters like glass. Volt widens its eyes in shock as it sees the destruction of its defences.

"Everyone! Give it all you got!" Yui cried as she points her finger at Volt, who turns back at them.

"Let's do it!" Erza bellowed as she aims her spear at Volt again. Everybody else nod their heads as they get back up on their feet with newfound determination. As Darren, Alicia, Karol, Yuri, Lucy, and Kirito charge towards Volt, Happy and Carla wrap their tails around the bodies of Natsu and Wendy and carry them up into the air. The Dragon Slayers look down at Volt, hold their fists in front of their mouths and enlarge their cheeks.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu shouted.

"SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!" Wendy added as the two Dragon Slayers fire two huge blasts of fire and wind out of their mouths and down onto Volt.

As Erza continues aiming her weapon at Volt, the strands of the ribbon beneath the circular wheel of her spear forms into the limbs of a bow. An orb of energy forms at the tips of the spear heads and Erza fires a powerful blast of lightning at Volt.

Gray and Noel aim their ice cannon and revolvers at Volt again and fire multiple cannonballs and bullets. Scorpio fires a blast of sand from his tail cannon at Volt. Estelle aims her rod at Volt and summons a magical circle below the sacred beast again. Judith enlarges her spear twice its size and hurls it over to Volt once more.

Volt made gibberish sounds again as the blasts and projectiles from Natsu, Wendy, Erza, Gray, Noel and Scorpio landed onto its circular body. Estelle's magical circle shrinks and forms into a blast that hits the bottom of Volt again. Finally, Judith's spear flew past Volt and successfully lands a powerful strike across its body.

When Darren, Alicia, Karol, Yuri, Lucy, and Kirito reach Volt, they begin attacking the beast with their weapons. Darren and Yuri swing their swords horizontally as they run past Volt, successfully landing two powerful strikes across the left and right sides of its body.

Karol goes in front of Volt and delivers a powerful vertical strike at it, sending the sacred beast hovering backwards.

Alicia and Lucy swing their yo-yos and whip at Volt's body and lands two powerful strikes on it. Finally, Kirito swiftly rushes over to Volt and delivers multiple strikes at it with both of his swords in incredible speed. He finishes it off by pulling back his Dark Repulser sword and delivers a powerful thrust across Volt as he rushes past it.

"Everyone! Get back!" Sheena shouted to Darren, Alicia, Karol, Yuri, Lucy, and Kirito as she swings her arm horizontally through the air and summons multiple papers which float around her in a circle. Happy and Carla land Natsu and Wendy back on the ground while Darren, Alicia, Karol, Yuri, Lucy, and Kirito run back to the others. When the coast is clear, Sheena places her hands together and summons a magical triangle with a circle on each corner beneath her feet. The papers now fly over to Volt and surrounds the sacred beast in a spiral. Sheena finishes her spell by thrusting her left hand forward and launches a beam of light beneath Volt. The sacred beast made gibberish sounds again as the beam illuminates brighter than its own lightning and overwhelms the entire room.

When the light dies down, everyone opens their eyes again and look back to the front. They see Volt now lying on the ground with its eyes turn black and its face tilt to the side.

"Is it over?" Carla asked.

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Volt's eyes illuminate in red again. Countless lightning bolts flash inside its body again as Volt hovers itself up from the floor and looks back at everyone at the other end of the room. Team Natsu and the others get into their battle stances and prepare to fight Volt again while Shinji hides behind the balcony in fear.

However, instead of engaging them in another battle, Volt spoke to them in gibberish sounds.

Everyone lower their weapons or arms as Judith said to them, "You have-"

"Fought well, fellow humans." Sheena interrupted. Judith and the others stare at her incredulously.

"You can understand Krityan now?" Lucy asked.

Sheena nods her head and continued, "However, I still demand your proof. The proof that you are worthy."

"Huh?!" Karol cried incredulously as he and Natsu stare at Volt in distress.

"That's still not enough?!" Natsu added.

"Not yet." Sheena said to them. "He still wants proof of strength and heart. We have proven how strong we are, but I have yet to show my heart."

Everyone quietly observed as Sheena walks over to Volt with a solemn frown. Shinji also walks down the stairs on the right to regroup with everyone. Sheena places herself a few meters away in front of Volt and summons a paper in her hand.

"I summon thee, oh Lord of Lightning, for a humble request." Sheena said firmly. "I wish to establish a pact with you. I am Sheena Fujibayashi, from the hidden village of Mizuho. Come forth and appear before me."

Sheena places her hands together and holds up the paper in front of her with her fingers.

"I pledge myself to thee!" Sheena proclaimed. "I believed in everyone, and that has gotten me this far! So, for the people of Mizuho, Volt, lend me your power!"

Volt responded by illuminating itself in bright purple light. Everyone closes their eyes again as the light engulfs the entire room.

* * *

Outside the room, Cheria pushes Hina over to the centre of the large floor tile with multiple lines. Hina looks back at the praetors for a moment as Cheria draws out her dagger while Sophie gets into her battle stance.

"Do it." Cheria ordered. "Or your friends will face the consequences."

Despite feeling conflicted in obeying their orders, Hina reluctantly obliged, knowing that Kallen and the others will suffer if she does not. She turns back to the stone doors and performs the same few hand and arm gestures Sheena did. She finished by clapping her hands together and Cheria and Sophie watch as the lines on the tile and the holes on the doors light up.

The doors slowly opened and both praetors get ready to fight against Volt. However, to the surprise of Hina and the praetors, they not only see Volt coming out of the room, but also Sheena.

"Fujibayashi-san!" Hina cried happily.

"It's the Mizuhan!" Sophie warned Cheria.

When Sheena came to a halt, she glares at the praetors and holds up a purple paper in her fingers. She throws the paper up into the air and Cheria throws a dagger at it. However, a barrier magically forms in front of the paper and deflects the dagger. After the dagger drops onto the floor, Cheria and Sophie back away in fear as Sheena performs several hand gestures.

"RAGE OF VOLT!" Sheena shouted. Two lightning bolts immediately burst out from the paper and head towards Cheria and Sophie. The praetors manage to block the bolts with their daggers and gauntlets, but the impact sends them flying off from the top of the stairs.

"What?!" Asbel cried incredulously as he and everyone at the bottom of the stairs watch Cheria and Sophie plummeting through the air.

As Cheria and Sophie landed onto the ground in front of them, four praetors quickly run over to them from behind.

"Fall back!" Cheria cried as the praetors pull her and Sophie up from the ground.

Everyone looks back up and stare in awe as Sheena approaches the edge of the top of the stairs with Volt hovering behind her.

"It's the sacred beast." Ragna said.

"No way." Kallen uttered.

"Way a go, Sheena!" Mei shouted enthusiastically.

As Sheena looks down at the praetors with a menacing glare, Asbel orders the praetors, "Archers! Fire!"

The praetors quickly draw out their bows and aim their arrows at Sheena and Volt. As the arrows turn into sharp rods of bright white light, the archers fire them at the summoner and the sacred beast.

Sheena quickly places her hands together again and form a barrier of light around her and Volt. When the arrows make contact with the barrier, they simply burst into tiny orbs of light.

"Impossible!" Asbel cried in horror. Sheena kneels down on a knee and slams her hand onto the ground, summoning bolts of lightning down onto the stairs and make its way towards the praetors.

"Cheria!" Sophie cried as she quickly pushes Cheria out of the way. However, a bolt of lightning strikes down onto Sophie's back, causing her to scream in agony before she passes out and collapses onto the ground on her face.

"Sophie!" Cheria screamed as she stares at Sophie's motionless body. The other ten praetors leave Kallen, Mei and Sumeragi behind as they turn around and run away. Asbel removes his sword from the back of Ragna's shoulder and flees as well.

Kallen, Mei, Ragna and Sumeragi close their eyes as the bolts of lightning came towards them. But a few seconds later, they open their eyes again, realizing that the bolts conveniently pass by without hitting them.

Instead, the bolts of lightning continue making their way towards the fleeing praetors and they struck down onto all ten archers. As they felt huge amounts of electricity surging through their bodies, the ten praetors scream in agony before they fall on their knees and collapse to the ground.

Asbel manages to reach the end of the hallway and jump down from the top of the stairs before the lightning bolts could catch up to him. Cheria gets up and tries to help Sophie, but Volt notices her and brings down a bolt of lightning in front of her. She quickly came to a halt and looks back at Sheena and Volt as they slowly descend from the stairs. Cheria glances at Sophie one last time before she reluctantly turns and flees.

As Cheria leaves the hallway and runs down the stairs, she sees Asbel standing at the middle of the bridge, waiting for her.

"Cheria!" Asbel cried to her.

"Asbel!" Cheria responded as she runs up to him.

"Where's Sophie?" Asbel asked in concern.

"I'm sorry." Cheria said sadly, standing in front of him. "Sheena and Volt have taken her as prisoner."

Asbel looks back up at the entrance of the hallway at the top of the stairs. Behind his helmet, he expressed a huge amount of sorrow and regret. He could not believe he has failed as a protector to the people he holds dear…again. He places his hand on Cheria's shoulder and said dishearteningly, "Let's get out of here."

Cheria pulls Asbel into a warm embrace to comfort him. Asbel briefly hugs her back before the two praetors pull themselves away from each other and hurriedly make their way out of the temple.

Back in the hallway, Kallen helps get Ragna up from the ground. Mei and Sumeragi stood up as well and the four gazed at Sheena, who is now standing at the bottom of the stairs with Volt floating behind her.

They look up at the top of the stairs and see Hina, Shinji, Kirito, Yui, Darren, Team Natsu and the others kneeling on the ground. They solemnly bow to Sheena and Volt and place their foreheads against the ground. Kallen, Ragna, Mei and Sumeragi look back at Sheena and proceed to kneel on the ground as well. As Sheena watches the four of them bow solemnly to her, a warm smile takes form on her face.

' _Thank you…everyone.'_

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Amanny and AquaBluey for reviewing, edbones100 for favoriting and following, and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks everyone!**


	36. Preparing For Battle

_**Preparing For Battle**_

As Volt remains at the Temple of Lightning, Sheena and the others return to Mizuho by Sumeragi's airship, along with Sophie and the other unconscious praetors which they have taken as prisoners.

Upon returning to Mizuho, everyone headed to the Daigo Shrine where Sheena places her purple paper into a stone lantern located inside the main temple building. After doing so, Sheena slides open the wooden doors as she leaves the building. She closes the doors behind her and goes over to Kirito, Yui, Team Natsu and the others at the center of the temple grounds. As Sheena turns around, she made several hand gestures and finishes it by clapping her hands together. Everyone closes their eyes and turn their heads away as the main building illuminates brightly and a huge beam of white light fires up into the sky.

Every person in every corner of Mizuho, including Emperor Tiga from the entrance of his palace, watch in astonishment as the beam of light forms an enormous barrier of energy over the entire town.

"The power of the sacred beast…" Tiga uttered with a weak smile. "Has finally returned…"

The barrier remains visible to the naked eye for a few seconds before it slowly disappears. The beam of light dies down as well and the main temple building returns to normal. As everyone open their eyes and look back to the front, Yui brings up a menu which shows the status of the barrier over Mizuho.

"The barrier of lightning is now intact and will stay so for the next twelve months." Yui said.

"Does this mean Sheena will have to return to the Temple of Lightning and do the ritual again next year?" Karol asked.

"Yes." Sheena said to him before her lips form into a confident smirk. "But you know what? Even when the time comes, I honestly don't feel afraid anymore."

"Finally, after nine years, Volt watches over us again." Sumeragi said with a blissful smile. Suddenly, Hina wraps her arms around Sheena and pulls her into a tight embrace.

"You did it, Fujibayashi-san!" Hina cheered. "You have brought peace and protection back to our town!"

"Y-You're welcome, Hina." Sheena struggled to say. As Hina releases her, Sheena turns around to face the others who all smile back at her.

"Seriously Sheena, you have done an amazing job today." Erza complimented.

"You are a true hero to your people, Sheena." Alicia added.

"Arigatou, Fujibayashi-san." Kirito said as he, Yui, Shinji, Ragna, Sumeragi and Mei bow down to her. Kallen however, gets down on her knees and lowers her head in shame and sorrow.

"Fujibayashi-san. I am sorry for ever doubting you. And it was my fault that everyone's lives were in danger back at the temple." Kallen said to Sheena before placing her forehead against the ground. "Please forgive me."

Sheena walks over to Kallen and kneels in front of her. She places her hand on her shoulder, causing Kallen to look up at her with tears in her eyes.

"It's alright, Kouzuki-san. There is no need to apologize." Sheena said to her with a warm smile before she helps Kallen get up from the ground. After Kallen wipes away her tears, she manages to smile weakly back at the summoner.

"Hina!" A voice suddenly cried out. Everyone turns to the Torii gate and sees Nagi standing there. When she lays her eyes on her younger brother, Hina takes a gulp as tears immediately cascade down her cheeks.

"Nagi…" Hina managed to choke out.

"HINA!" Nagi cried again as tears brim in his eyes.

"NAGI!" Hina shouted before both siblings run over to each other. When he got near her, Nagi dives forward and hovers in midair for barely a moment before Hina grabs him into a warm embrace.

"Hina! I miss you so much!" Nagi bawled as he and Hina cry onto each other's shoulders.

"Oh Nagi…I-I miss you and mother too…" Hina sobbed, clinging onto her brother tightly. Nagi momentarily brought his sobs to a halt to look up at Sheena with puffy red eyes.

"A-Arigatou…" Nagi said to her. Sheena smiled back at him as she could feel tears forming in her own eyes as well.

Darren gently places his hand on her shoulder as the summoner wipes away her tears. Sheena looks back at him and the two friends smile at each other over a job well done.

* * *

Later that night, the townspeople gathered at the market area where they held a festival to celebrate the return of the barrier that protected Mizuho for generations after a nine-year long absence.

As the entire market area is illuminated with bright yellow lights, many men and women dressed in blue and white striped haoris performed along the road with white fans in their hands. The spectators including Team Natsu, Darren, Noel, Yuri, Brave Vesperia, Hina, Nagi, Kirito, Yui, Shinji, Ragna, Mei, Sumeragi and Kallen, stood at both sides of the road and cheer as they watch the spectacular performance with joy and awe.

"This is amazing." Wendy commented as she stood between Nagi and Karol.

"I know, right?" Karol asked as he and Nagi turn to the Sky Dragon Slayer. "The Mizuhans sure know how to work and play."

"You think that's amazing?" Nagi asked Wendy with a smirk. The Sky Dragon Slayer looks down in confusion as Nagi suddenly grabs her hand and gently lifts it up in front of his face. "Such smooth long blue hair and elegant brown eyes…I think you are more amazing than this performance…or perhaps any known girl in the world."

Wendy's cheeks blush as Nagi leans his head closer to her. But to their surprise, Karol suddenly places his hand on top of Nagi's hand. Nagi and Wendy turn their heads and see an ugly scowl plastered on Karol's face. Without saying a word, Karol removes Nagi's hand from Wendy's and gently wraps his arm around her shoulders. Nagi glares at Karol as the leader of Brave Vesperia backs away, dragging Wendy along with him.

As she stands beside Nagi on the left, Hina momentarily turns her attention away from the performance and said to Alicia, Lucy, Natsu and Darren, "Because of what you and Sheena did at the Temple of Lightning today, every Mizuhan who lost their lives during the last nine years can finally rest in peace. Thank you, all of you." She finished by bowing her head to them.

"You're welcome. We're just doing our job as a guild." Natsu smiled at Hina.

"We always help people who are in need, that's all." Lucy added, winking an eye at her.

"Heehee, Lucy is holding Natsu's hand all of the sudden." Happy commented as he flies up from behind Lucy.

"What?!" Natsu and Lucy cried incredulously. They look down and realize the exceed is right, as Lucy finds herself holding onto Natsu's left hand. The two friends look up at each other and Lucy hastily removes her hand.

"Ahahahaha, that was so weird." Lucy chuckled nervously as she and Natsu now turn their heads away.

"Yeah, I mean what was that all about?" Natsu laughed as he rubs the back of his head.

Darren and Alicia smile mischievously at each other. Without warning, they suddenly push Natsu and Lucy…and the two mages find themselves planting their lips against each other. Natsu and Lucy widen their eyes in shock as they are now literally sharing a kiss.

"Just admit it already. You two are in love with each other." Darren said with a lopsided smirk as he stuffs his hands into his pockets.

"We all know." Alicia said, folding her arms and nodding her head.

Natsu and Lucy back away and stare stupidly at each other for a few moments…before two wide smiles take form on their faces.

"I…I really like you…Natsu." Lucy said softly as her cheeks blush.

"Yeah…I like you too…Lucy…" Natsu replied sheepishly. The two mages walk up to each other and kiss again, causing Happy and Hina to cheer and clap their hands.

"Well, it's about time." Yuri commented as he, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Carla, Noel, Kirito and the others watch in amusement.

"Awww, true love." Estelle said, smiling blissfully as she clasps her hands together.

"Congratulations, Natsu." Gray said, giving a thumbs-up to his rival.

"I always knew you two are meant for each other." Erza said as she, Judith and Kallen smiled at the couple.

"Way a go, Natsu and Lucy!" Karol said ecstatically, throwing his fist into the air while Wendy and Carla giggled.

"Nice." Nagi simply said as his teeth breaks out into a wide grin.

"So cute." Noel commented as she places her hand on her lips.

"Awesome." Mei said amusingly as she takes a closer look at their kiss with her goggles over her eyes.

"Youths, right?" Sumeragi said to Ragna with a smirk as she gently nudges his arm. Ragna simply nods his head to her with a small smile.

Shinji blows out a heavy sigh as he lowers his head. "I wish I could have a girlfriend too." He said dejectedly. Kirito comforts him by wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

"Cheer up, kid. I'm sure you will." Kirito said, grinning cheerfully at him.

"Hai! Don't give up!" Yui said encouragingly to Shinji.

After breaking away from their kiss a second time, Natsu and Lucy smile at each other until they and everyone else in the market area heard a loud ring. They all turn to the left side of the road where a woman stood beside a large golden gong with a drumstick in her hand.

As two other performers quickly move the gong away to the side, the woman announced to everyone in the market area, "Ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome…our honorable leader…and our glorious summoner…Emperor Tiga and Sheena Fujibayashi!"

As the woman steps aside, a group of four Mizuhan soldiers carry a golden palanquin with purple curtains as they strode down the road. The front of the palanquin is hollow, showing Emperor Tiga as he sat down with his legs crossed on a purple cushion. All the people in the market area including Team Natsu, Brave Vesperia and the others solemnly bow their heads as the Emperor's palanquin pass by them.

When everybody looks back up, they turn their heads and see another group of four soldiers carrying another golden palanquin, one which houses Sheena inside.

As she sits inside the palanquin while being carried through the market area, Sheena turns to her right and sees Darren, Team Natsu, Kirito, Hina and all her other friends smiling back at her for a moment before they close their eyes and bow their heads. Sheena turns to the left and sees a familiar group of people standing at the side of the road. It was the same family of three whom Sheena met at the Daigo Shrine yesterday. But this time, instead of expressing contempt towards her, the parents were giving her wan smiles. Although they did not say a single word, Sheena knows that they are thanking her for finally delivering peace to their deceased son. Their daughter, blissfully unaware of how her parents are feeling right now, simply smile back at Sheena before she and everybody else standing at both sides of the road bow solemnly to her.

A wide smile plasters across Sheena's face as she looks back to her front. To think that nine years ago, she was viewed as a disgrace by her fellow people. But now, she is being acknowledged as a hero and a true summoner, and she owes it all to Fairy Tail, Brave Vesperia, Yuri, Noel and most especially Darren.

As Sheena and Tiga are being carried through the market area, men who are standing on the top of the buildings began firing crackers into the sky. Fireworks of all colors soon burst in the night sky and everyone look up and watch in amusement. Sheena looks skyward and view the display as well, letting out a chuckle as happiness is restored to her hometown.

* * *

The next day, Team Natsu, Darren, Sheena, Kirito and the others gathered inside the throne room of Tiga's palace once again. While last night was filled with joy, laughter, and amusement, it was time for them to refocus on their fight against the Abbey.

"On behalf of all the people of Mizuho, I, Emperor Tiga, would like to thank Fairy Tail, Brave Vesperia, and the Magic Council for aiding our summoner, Sheena Fujibayashi, in acquiring the sacred power of Volt. As promised, I allow Mizuho to form an alliance with the Magic Council and assist them in their fight against the Abbey in return." Tiga proclaimed.

"Thank you, Emperor Tiga." Estelle said as she, Darren, Noel, Yuri, Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia bow their heads solemnly to the Emperor.

"On behalf of the Magic Council, we thank you as well in joining our fight against the Abbey." Noel added. "Your assistance is greatly appreciated, especially during these trying times."

As everyone looked back at him, Tiga continued, "Now that we are a part of your alliance, I allow Sheena Fujibayashi to share the power of Volt among all of you, the same way she had done to our soldiers."

"And with Volt's power and the Mizuhan army on our side, we can finally commence our invasion of the Abbey's headquarters and kick lots of major praetor butt!" Natsu said ecstatically as he cracks his knuckles.

"Aye!" Happy added excitedly.

"Hold your horses, Natsu." Yuri said to him. "Even if we now have Mizuho on our side, we still need to plan how are we going to carry out our invasion."

"True. We still don't know how many soldiers they actually have, and where their headquarters is located." Kirito said.

"Don't worry. We have someone who had provided us the information we need." Erza said before turning to the curtains at the right end corner of the throne room. "You may bring her out, Hina."

Hina emerges from behind the curtains, along with a short girl whose light purple hair is tied to two long ponytails that reach down to her ankles. Kirito, Yui, Shinji, Kallen, Sumeragi, Ragna and Mei gasp as they see the purple-haired girl is dressed in her grey praetor uniform.

"The praetor who attacked us!" Kallen cried.

"It's okay everyone!" Hina quickly reassured them. "Sophie used to be a threat to us when she was still under the effects of the Orb of Mind. But after we knocked her out, she has since completely regained her senses."

"She is right." Sophie nods her head. "I thank you all for freeing me from the Abbey's control. And now, I am willing to assist you in your fight against them."

"Take it easy, Kallen." Mei said as she places her hand on Kallen's shoulder. The red-haired woman sighs in relief.

"Sophie, can you tell us where the Abbey HQ is located, and how many soldiers are stationed there?" Erza inquired.

"Probably two thousand praetors over there." Sophie replied. "That's what I've last heard from Ivan Dreyar anyway. As for the exact location of their headquarters, it is in the southernmost town of Fiore."

"Southernmost town in the country?" Karol uttered as he, Judith and Estelle widen their eyes.

"That would be…" Judith said.

"Zaphias." Estelle finished for her. "The town where it all began."

* * *

Much later, Sophie and Hina sat alongside the others as Tiga's servants brought a large rectangular-shaped wooden table into the throne room. After the servants placed the table in the center of the room, everyone except the Emperor got up from their cushions and gather around it. Karol takes out a map of Zaphias which he had kept inside his bag the entire time. He places it on the table, allowing everyone to see the entire layout of the town. Sophie places her finger on a large rectangular-shaped building located at the center of Zaphias.

"After the invasion, Cornelia Corningston and Ivan Dreyar made use of the town hall and transformed it into their own personal headquarters." Sophie explained. She now points her finger on all four corners of the walls surrounding the town. "During my time there, I remember that they have installed a magic cannon on each corner of the town's walls…" She places her finger at the town's main entrance. "As well as two additional ones at both sides of the entrance. I even remember how tall the walls are from one of my former subordinates named Tear. About 7 meters tall."

"If the town is surrounded by walls, we will make use of my ever-perfect grappling hooks for this mission." Mei said with a proud grin as she places her hand on her chest.

"Even still, our town has a total of six hundred warriors. It may be risky to have all of them fight against two thousand praetors." Sumeragi said as she folds her arms.

"That is why I'm already thinking of having reinforcements." Yuri said. "I'm sure you all remember the Faction, our good friends we met in Hargeon? I'll contact Nolan Mathias to come to the outskirts of Zaphias and bring along as much Rune Knights and firepower as he can."

"Thank you, Yuri." Erza said to him.

"So how do we commence our invasion?" Lucy asked.

"I was already thinking of invading the town at all sides." Erza said as she looks back at the map. "But we need one large group of men to attack the front of the town first."

"Why's that?" Kallen asked.

"To create a diversion while three other groups can attack from the sides and back of the town, right?" Darren asked Erza.

"Correct." Erza replied to him with a smirk.

"Way a go, Darren." Alicia said cheerfully as she places her hand on Darren's shoulder. "You deserve a golden star." Darren chuckled in response.

"But how do we take out the cannons?" Ragna asked.

"The other three groups can use the power of Volt to disable the cannons while the group that is attacking the front won't do so until we order them to. That way, we can deceive the enemy that we are overwhelmed and unprepared." Sheena said.

"Great idea, Sheena." Erza nods her head to her.

"And once we disable the cannons, then all of us can climb over the walls with my grappling hooks, right?" Mei asked eagerly.

"Yes, we can." Erza said.

"GREAT!" Mei shouted enthusiastically as she throws her fists into the air.

"But what can we expect beyond the walls? Besides the actual town area, of course?" Darren inquired.

"Asbel, Cheria and the other lieutenants will be patrolling the town area, and our captains and commandant are usually stationed inside the town hall." Sophie explained.

"Mala." Darren said grimly as he and Alicia stare solemnly at each other.

"And Tal Olsen." Alicia added.

"Who are these lieutenants, Sophie?" Wendy asked.

"Yes, I should tell you who they are and what are their specialties right now since you will inevitably face them in battle." Sophie said. "Originally, there was Velvet Crowe. But after you defeated her, she was replaced by Eleanor Hume, who also coincidentally got defeated by the same people in Loegres." She paused as she turns to Team Natsu, Darren and Alicia. "What happened to them?"

"Don't worry, Sophie. They are fine and alive." Gray said. "Velvet has since joined a friend of ours on a journey throughout Fiore, while Eleanor is currently under custody of the Magic Council."

"According to my allies back in Era, she has since been pardoned by the Council and currently under their safe hands." Noel added.

"That's a relief." Sophie said before looking back at everyone else. "Anyways, after my recent defeat, that now makes the remaining number of lieutenants within the Abbey to seven. Two of them are Asbel Lhant and Cheria Barnes, whom you all have encountered back at the Temple."

"Right. One of them is a swordsman and the other is capable of fighting with daggers and healing people's wounds with her magic." Kallen said.

"Correct." Sophie nods her head. "There is also another lieutenant among them who mostly uses magic during combat. Her name is Tear Grants. Her most powerful spell is called the _'Grand Fonic Hymn'_. As soon as you hear her sing within a 30-feet radius, cover your ears quickly, because it will temporarily remove your ability to use magic, and paralyze you as if your entire body had turn into stone."

"Now that's one singer whom you don't wish to buy an album from." Lucy said shuddering.

"The other four lieutenants are also swordsmen, but one of them is a gunslinger as well. His name is Ludger Will Kresnik. When it comes to swordsmanship, he is a dual wielder who fights with two curved swords. And when it comes to marksmanship, he uses two pistols. If you engage him in battle, keep in mind that during combat, he can swiftly switch between both fighting styles. And when he becomes the most desperate, he will go into a hidden form which doubles his speed and strength, and he will wield a double-bladed spear." Sophie explained.

"So not only is he a dual-wielder, but also uses many types of weapons." Erza said. "I guess if there is anyone here who equals him in speed, strength and weaponry, it will be me."

"Two of the other three swordsmen are Luke fon Fabre and Guy Cecil. Like Asbel and Cheria, they are often paired with each other in combat. Luke usually relies on heavy strength and brute force while Guy is swift and agile. Although the latter of the pair does have a weakness." Sophie said.

"What is that?" Erza said.

"Well…" Sophie slightly tilts her head to the side as she rubs the back of her neck. "I know it's a little weird but…" As Sophie looks back at them, everyone around the table gaze at her as she reveals Guy's weakness.

What follows is a loud, incredulous scream that can be heard from outside the throne room.

"WWWHHHAAAAAATTTTTT?!"

Sophie lets out a sigh and said flatly, "Yes, it's true."

"That's…interesting." Natsu said as everyone continue staring at her in bewilderment.

"I didn't know there was such a thing." Lucy uttered.

"How bizarre." Sheena said.

"Oookaaayyy…" Yuri said with an arched eyebrow while Erza and Judith both sigh in disappointment.

"Finally, there is the most powerful of them, and can be considered the de facto leader of the lieutenants." Sophie said. "His name is Flynn Scifo."

Estelle widens her eyes and gasps in horror upon hearing the name of the last lieutenant.

"F-F-Flynn?" Estelle uttered.

"What's wrong, Estelle?" Karol asked as he and everyone else stare at her in concern.

"Are you okay?" Erza inquired. Estelle slowly turns her head to her.

"Flynn Scifo…was my commandant back at Zaphias." Estelle said. Everyone gasped in response.

"The same commandant who helped you escape and contacted the Magic Council about the Abbey?" Yuri asked. Estelle turns to him and nods her head.

"So not only is he still alive but has since been captured and brainwashed by the Abbey." Natsu said.

"To think that my friend and most trusted soldier would now become my enemy." Estelle said dishearteningly with downcast eyes. As she felt Yuri placing his hand on her shoulder, Estelle look back at him again and sees him giving her a solemn frown.

"Don't worry, Estelle. We will save him from the Abbey's control. I promise." Yuri said.

"Us too." Erza said as she places her hand on Estelle's other shoulder.

"Us three." Karol said with his fists at both sides of his hip as he, Judith, Alicia, Darren, Sheena, Noel, and the rest of Team Natsu all smile at her. Estelle looks back at Erza, Karol and the others and smile warmly at them.

"Thank you, all of you." Estelle said, overwhelmed with gratitude. She looks back at Yuri and nods her head. Yuri smiles back at her as the two of them stare at each other for a brief moment. As Yuri and Erza remove their hands from her shoulders, Estelle looks back at everyone else around the table and explained, "Flynn Scifo is a powerful swordsman who can unleash many deadly magic attacks with his sword."

"Yes." Sophie said to Estelle. "He also has two ultimate attacks. One of them is the Bubble Bomber which he will unleash a swirling tower of water, follow by multiple explosive bubbles."

"And the other is Earthquaker, which he will summon a large stalagmite from the ground before delivering two vertical slashes." Estelle added. Sophie nods her head.

"Then I guess for this fight, it will require Natsu, Gray and at least one more person to deal with him." Erza said.

"Actually, can I be the third person to handle him?" Estelle asked, placing her hand on her chest. "I have known Flynn for a very long time…so I should at least try to reason with him, and free his mind from the Abbey's control."

There was a moment of silence around the table before Erza gave Estelle a solemn nod. "Very well." She said.

"Thank you, Erza." Estelle said, bowing her head back to her.

"I hope you know what you are up against." Noel said to Estelle.

"I know." Estelle said flatly as she looks back at Noel with a determined frown.

"Once we have dealt with all seven lieutenants, we can proceed to invade the town hall where the captains and commandant are waiting." Noel said to everyone around her.

"There are currently two captains and one commandant within the Abbey." Sophie said.

"The captains are Mala Makra and Tal Olsen. We already know who they are and how they fight." Darren said to her while Alicia, Sheena, and Team Natsu nod their heads.

"Right." Sophie said. "And our commandant is named Alexei Dinoia."

"Alexei…Dinoia?" Yuri muttered with his eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong?" Estelle asked.

"You recognize that name too, don't you?" Noel asked Yuri, who nods his head to her in response.

"Who is he?" Judith asked as she stares at Yuri.

"Alexei Dinoia is a former General within the Rune Knights. But for unknown reasons, he left earlier this year." Yuri explained.

"Alexei Dinoia is responsible for training many of our soldiers, including our lieutenants and captains. That is why he is considered General Dreyar's strongest soldier." Sophie said.

"He trained Flynn, Tal and Mala Makra? Then we have to be extremely careful with him." Erza said solemnly.

"And after we deal with Mala, Tal and Alexei, we will be facing General Dreyar and Cornelia Corningston next. I already expect things won't be easy when we face the both of them." Darren said.

"Don't worry, Darren." Natsu said as he and Lucy place their hands on his shoulders. "If you need extra help dealing with those two, you can count on us!"

"Dealing with tyrants is Fairy Tail's specialty!" Lucy added cheerfully.

Darren chuckled and said to Natsu and Lucy, "Thanks guys."

"H-Hey! Don't forget about us! You can count on Brave Vesperia too, Darren!" Karol cried to him.

"Yup. Thank you too, Karol and Brave Vesperia." Darren replied, smiling back at Karol. The small boy grins as he gives a thumbs-up to him.

"Everybody…" Noel said solemnly to everyone gathered around the table. "To think that we would finally be entering the lion's den. Although it has only been happening for a few months, so many innocent people have died or lost their homes from this war. We cannot let this unnecessary violence go on." She stood up straight and adjusts her beret. "It is time to fight the Abbey head on. This invasion _must_ be our final battle."

Team Natsu, Darren, Sheena, Yuri, Brave Vesperia, Kirito, Yui, Hina, Shinji, Kallen, Sumeragi, Ragna and Mei all stare at each other wordlessly before they turn to Noel and nod their heads in agreement.

"Good luck, everyone." Tiga said from his throne, causing everyone around the table to look back at him. "May Volt watch over all of you."

In response, everyone turns and solemnly bow down to the Emperor. Afterwards, they make their final preparations before they head out to the outskirts of Zaphias.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Amanny, AquaBluey and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for reviewing and checking out my story. Thanks!**


	37. Before The Invasion

_**Before The Invasion**_

Everyone leaves Mizuho the following day. Not wanting to attract the Abbey's attention by air and sea like their last two encounters with them, Team Natsu, Darren, Sheena, Yuri, Brave Vesperia and Noel decide to travel to the outskirts of Zaphias by foot, along with Kirito, Shinji, Hina, Yui, Kallen, Sumeragi, Ragna, Mei, Sophie, and the entire army of 600 Mizuhan soldiers.

Kirito, Sheena and Kallen initially pleaded Hina to stay in Mizuho, telling her that she no longer has to join their battles and she can finally live her life normally with Nagi. But Hina insist them to bring her along. After witnessing how Team Natsu, Sheena and the others risk their lives to restore peace back to Earth Land, their actions inspire Hina to help them as much as she can. And after hearing Hina's reason, Shinji asked Kirito, Sheena and Kallen to bring him along as well. Although Kirito, Sheena and Kallen still have doubts, Erza tells them that once they have decided for themselves, they cannot stop them from changing their minds.

After three days of travelling, everyone arrived at an open barren field with little grass where they are surprised to see a large campsite surrounded by tall metal walls. They also see two large Magic Council ships parked inside it.

"There it is. That's a Rune Knight campsite." Noel said to everyone behind her as they kept walking towards it.

"They are able to build a campsite this big in a short time?" Darren asked incredulously.

"That means Nolan must have brought a lot of men. I knew we can trust him." Yuri said.

The Rune Knights who are stationed on the top of the walls, including Lucas and Tryo, are startled to see the large army of Mizuhans soldiers approaching their campsite.

"Well I'll be." Lucas uttered as he and Tryo watch them in awe.

Tryo manages to snap out of her thoughts a second later and ordered the Rune Knights, "Open the gate!"

The metal gate slides open and Team Natsu, their friends and the Mizuhan Army enter the campsite. As they pass by them, the Rune Knights stare at them in a mixture of awe and admiration.

"Is that Team Natsu of Fairy Tail?" one of the Rune Knights whispered to the other.

"It is." The other Rune Knight responded with a nod.

"Fairy Tail? The same guild that caused a lot of trouble for us in the past?" Another Rune Knight asked in bewilderment.

"Yeah. I used to think most of them were idiots. But after they won the Grand Magic Games, and now able to convince Mizuho to join the Magic Council, I'm utterly amazed by them." Another Rune Knight said.

"I heard that the muscular boy with pink hair is the one who defeated Acnologia." One female Rune Knight said to the other beside her.

"For real?!" The other female Rune Knight looked back at her with her eyes wide.

"Everyone is talking about you guys." Hina said to Gray.

"That's because we are the number one guild in Fiore. It's only natural that everyone in the country would be talking about us." Gray said.

"I see." Hina said as she starts to develop sweat on her brows. "Imagine everyone talking about you everyday behind your back. That is so scary."

"Fairy Tail! Brave Vesperia!" Nolan greeted happily as he waves his hand at Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia.

"Good morning, Captain Mathias. We brought along the Mizuhan army with us as promised." Erza replied as she and her friends see him walking over to them, along with two other Rune Knights, dressed in similar red uniforms. One of them is a man with dark flesh skin, golden eyes, black hair tied to a messy ponytail and wears a white headband. The other is an orange-eyed woman with purple hair, tied to a ponytail by a light blue ribbon, wears a light blue skirt and carries a light grey tablet in her arm.

"So it seems you all succeeded in your mission in negotiating with Mizuho to join forces with us. Well done, Fairy Tail and Brave Vesperia." Nolan said. "May I ask, who is in charge of the Mizuhan army?"

"Sir, I am Captain Kazuto Kirigaya of Mizuho. But you may refer me as Kirito." Kirito said, extending a hand to Nolan.

"Pleasure to meet you, Kirito. I am Captain Nolan Mathias." Nolan replied as he shakes Kirito's hand. After releasing his hand, Nolan turns his head to Noel. "And a pleasure to see you here, Lieutenant Noel Vermillion."

"Hello, Captain Mathias. What have you been doing lately?" Noel said, smiling at her fellow Rune knight.

"Oh you know, doing what a Rune Knight should be doing during these times. Rescuing more magicless people and in the process, liberate two towns from the Abbey's control including Malba and Taliesin." Nolan responded with a shrug.

"That's nice." Noel replied.

' _Good thing your friend isn't with you right now or she would be so jealous.'_ Mavis said with a giggle.

"Yeah, you're right." Noel murmured as she temporarily turns her head away from Nolan with an arched eyebrow.

"Anyways, I've been told by Yuri Lowell that you guys have already come up with a plan on how to invade Zaphias and ambush the Abbey." Nolan said to Erza.

"Yes, we have." Erza said as Yuri nonchalantly waves his hand at Nolan.

"Then we would love to hear what you guys have planned." Nolan smirked.

* * *

Team Natsu, Darren, Sheena, Yuri, Brave Vesperia, Noel, Kirito, Shinji, Hina, Ragna, Sumeragi, Kallen, Mei, Sophie and the Faction all gathered inside the meeting room of one of the Magic Council ships. As they place a map of Zaphias on the table in the centre, Team Natsu and the others show Nolan and his team the layout of the town and explain how they plan to conduct their invasion.

"So, using the good old element-of-surprise strategy for this invasion, eh? One of the groups creates a diversion at the front while the other three groups attack from the sides and back." Nolan said as he cups his chin.

"Yes. And we are also thinking that each group can have each member of your team, Captain Mathias." Alicia said to him.

"Great idea." Nolan nods his head before turning to the purple-haired woman. "Macey Rommedahl, you will join the group attacking the front. Provide a huge barrier for them as they take heavy fire from the cannons at the entrance."

"Yes, sir." Macey responded with a salute.

"Sayyid El-Shenawy, you will join the group attacking from the back. Use your teleportation magic to take out whatever praetors stationed in the cannons at the back of the town." Nolan said to the Rune Knight with a white headband.

"Understood, sir." Sayyid replied as he places his hand on his chest and bows his head to his superior.

"Lucas, Tryo, you two will join the group attacking from the left. I'll join Noel with the last group attacking from the right." Nolan said to Lucas and Tryo.

"Yes, sir!" Lucas and Tryo replied in unison as they both salute to Nolan.

"Alright, so to recap, Yuri, Estelle, Sheena, Kallen, Mei, Macey and I will lead the group invading Zaphias from the entrance." Erza said. "Macey, Estelle and Sheena will be the ones providing protection and assistance for the group."

"That's right." Sheena said as she, Estelle and Macey nod their heads.

"Lucas, Tryo, Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Sumeragi and Sophie will be part of the group invading the town from the left." Erza continued.

"You can count on us." Lucy said as she and Natsu nodded.

"Nolan, Noel, Gray, Wendy, Carla, Hina and Ragna will lead the group attacking from the right." Erza said. After the said members of the group nod their heads to her, Erza turn to Sayyid and the last seven people who have yet to be mentioned. "And finally, Sayyid, Judith, Darren, Alicia, Karol, Kirito, Yui and Shinji will lead the final group that will be invading Zaphias from the back."

"Yui will provide cover for us while Sayyid and I will take out the praetors operating the cannons." Judith said.

"We won't let you all down." Darren said solemnly to Erza.

"Remember everyone. Do not kill a single soul. Even though they are our enemies in this battle, they are still innocent civilians who had their minds controlled by Ivan Dreyar and Cornelia Corningston." Nolan reminded everyone in the meeting room.

Everyone nods their heads to Nolan in response.

"And with that…" Nolan paused as his teeth broke out into a cheerful grin. He throws his fist into the air and exclaimed enthusiastically, "Let's all have one last party before the big battle!"

* * *

Later that night, the entire campsite is illuminated by bright lights coming from the lamps in the watchtowers. All the soldiers, both Rune Knights and Mizuhans alike, converse, laugh, dance, sing and share food and drinks together as they eat and party on the campsite grounds. They enjoy this moment as much as they could, knowing that tonight may be the last time they would know how wonderful life can be.

At the left end corner of the campsite, Lucas plays the piano and sang _'Golden Time Lover'_. Several people dance along to his song. Sayyid simply stands beside the piano and smiles as he nods his head and taps his foot to the song. As the three girls dance together, Lucy and Erza laugh as Mei shows them some of her dancing moves. Hina and Happy laugh as well as the human girl holds onto the exceed's paws and swings him around in circles.

Kirito and Nolan, who are both extremely drunk, sing loudly along with Lucas as they wrap their arms around their shoulders and swing their bottles in their other hands side to side.

Tryo and Kallen stood nearby and watch their captains goofing off with annoyed frowns. They sigh heavily and deadpan in unison, "Oh well. At least this is their last night to have fun."

Suddenly, the two women widen their eyes and turn their heads to each other. They both smile and Tryo extends a hand to Kallen.

"My name is Tryo Eriksson." Tryo introduced herself to Kallen.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kallen Kouzuki." Kallen replied as she shakes her hand.

At the centre of the campsite grounds, there is a huge campfire with a large fried Hodras grilled over it, courtesy of Natsu, Darren, Yuri and their hunting skills. Many Rune Knights and Mizuhans gather around the campfire as they eat their pieces of Hodras meat on sticks and converse with each other. Some of the Rune knights also share their canned food with the Mizuhans, who in exchange gave them their bento boxes.

Natsu holds three sticks of Hodras meat in each hand and gobbles onto them. Darren, Alicia and Sheena inch away from him as he does. The three of them look at each other and laugh before they eat their own sticks of Hodras meat. Wendy, Carla, Sumeragi, Yui and Sophie also eat their sticks of meat as they stood near the campfire and happily converse with each other.

Karol, Judith, Yuri, Estelle, Shinji and many Rune Knights and Mizuhan soldiers watch with glee and laughter as Gray juggled with three bowling pins made of ice.

Finally, at the right end corner, one Rune Knight falls from his chair and passes out on the ground after failing to drink an entire cup of wine. Everyone around him, including Noel and Macey, cheered as Ragna gets up from his own chair and wipes his mouth as he triumphantly holds his empty cup in the air.

Darren, Alicia, and Sheena could not help but smile as they all watch their friends spending the night away enjoying themselves and having fun.

"It's great to see everyone getting along together." Darren said to Alicia and Sheena.

"Indeed. To think that one day, I would get to see my people interacting with others outside the walls of our hometown." Sheena said.

"There are no barriers in making friends. If only everyone back in our world knows that." Alicia added. As the smile on her face disappears, Sheena turns her head to Darren and Alicia.

"Speaking of your world, I hope after we defeat and capture Cornelia, she will be able to send you two and the other magicless people back to Earth. If she's able to bring you guys here, she better knows how to do the opposite." Sheena said.

"I hope so too. The first thing I want to do is go back home and see my mother again. We have been separated from each other for too long now. I can't let her continue worrying about me." Darren said.

"As for me, when I return to New Zealand, I will go to university. But I will also confront my parents that I am not going to let them steer my life to the way they want it to be. I will make my own decisions moving forward. That's what my brother would want me to do." Alicia said. Darren falls silent for a moment before he turns his head to Alicia.

"Alicia, do you think we will ever stay together again when we return home?" Darren asked.

"Of course, we will." Alicia said as she looks back at him. "As long as we have social media, we will always keep in touch."

"That's not what I meant." Darren said. Alicia frowns at him in concern. "If only we didn't live in two different places…we could always see and talk to each other all the time."

As she stares wordlessly at him, Alicia realized what Darren is talking about. After travelling and working together for two months, Darren has grown feelings for her and everyone around him. And admittingly, she too has developed feelings for Darren ever since they confess their pasts to each other back in Port Zekson. She could not help but feel that Darren is right with his last statement. It is hard to maintain a long-distance relationship, and because of how strict her parents are, it can take many years for them before they could ever see each other again. Or worse, it may never happen at all.

After watching Darren and Alicia gazing silently at each other for a few moments, Sheena walks over and places herself between them. She places her hands on their shoulders, causing Darren and Alicia to stare at her in confusion.

"Darren, Alicia, even as the battle is coming to an end, always look out for each other no matter how far you two may be." Sheena said to them with a weak smile. "True friendship never dies. I have come to learn that after travelling with you and everyone else. And you should too." Sheena turns to Alicia and whispered into her ear, "Please…take good care of my best friend."

"Sheena." Alicia murmured. After giving each of them a solemn nod, Sheena walks away to join Wendy, Carla, Sumeragi, Yui and Sophie. As Darren and Alicia look back at each other, Natsu and Lucy gleefully walk over to them.

"Yo Darren! Alicia! How are you two enjoying the party so far?" Natsu asked with a cheerful grin.

"You guys should totally see how awesome Mei is as a break-dancer!" Lucy laughed.

Darren and Alicia did not reply to them. Instead, as the two continue staring at each other, they both notice that tears are starting to form in their eyes. Much to the shock of Natsu and Lucy, Darren and Alicia gently pull themselves into a tight embrace and cry on each other's shoulders.

"I don't want you to go…I don't ever want you to leave me." Darren sobbed.

"It's okay Darren…" Alicia responded as she rubs his back. "I promise…I'll do everything I can…to see you again…everything will be fine…"

"Swear that you will…swear that you will come back to me." Darren whimpered.

"I will…" Alicia simply said. "I will…"

As the two of them continue clinging and crying onto each other, Natsu and Lucy struggled to fight back their own tears as they watched. Without saying a word, the two mages walk over to them and proceed to wrap their arms around them, hoping to ease their grief somewhat. The four friends stay in their embrace for a seemingly long time, no longer caring about the celebration around them.

* * *

The party goes on for another hour before Nolan and Kirito order everyone to go to bed. The campsite grounds were clear of trash and people within less than thirty minutes and with the exception of the chirping sounds of crickets, the entire area is now almost dead silent.

However, sometime later, Darren walks out of the Magic Council ship and head to the top of the walls. Despite going to bed about thirty minutes ago, Darren is unable to sleep as the thoughts of the upcoming battle and what the aftermath may be kept ringing inside his head. So he hoped that a little walk around the campsite would help calm his mind and slowly drift him into a much-needed slumber.

When he reached the top of the staircase, he was surprised to see three familiar figures standing near the edge of the wall. It was Erza, Yuri and Karol, and the three of them turn around when they heard Darren's footsteps.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Erza asked with a wan smile as she pushes a few strands of hair away from her eyes.

"Yeah. Sorry, master." Darren said wearily as he walks over to her, Karol and Yuri.

"It's alright. Us too." Karol said. The four of them stand together and look up at the night sky.

"You know, during the party, Nolan asked me again if I'm interested in re-joining the Rune Knights." Yuri said to Darren.

"Oh? And what did you say to him?" Darren asked.

"I kindly said no, again." Yuri smiled as he folds his arms. "After travelling with all of you, I've discovered a sense of freedom that I haven't experienced in a long time. You can say that I've slack off from my duties as a Rune Knight. But I just love fighting and travelling with you guys too much." Yuri's eyes softened as he and Darren look back at each other. "I guess you can say…I've finally realized how fun it is to hang out with others. And that's why I've decided to join Brave Vesperia instead."

"And Judith, Estelle and I are extremely happy to have him on board." Karol added as he gave a pat on Yuri's back.

Darren briefly smiled at Karol and Yuri before asking them and Erza, "So what do you guys plan to do when all of this is over?"

"When we defeat the Abbey, Team Natsu and I will return back to our guild in Magnolia. The war has undoubtedly caused a lot of trouble and destruction throughout Fiore. So, it's up to us to clean up the mess and make sure everything goes back to normal." Erza said to Darren.

"My guild and I are going to do the same to Zaphias and its nearby settlements when all of this is over." Karol said.

"Karol, aren't you worried?" Darren asked in concern. "Back in Halure, you said you have other members in your guild who were captured by the Abbey. But until now, we still haven't found them."

"Don't worry. My other guild members may not look like it, but they are tough and stubborn. So they'll be fine on their own. I still have faith that they are out there somewhere. Besides, after we kick the butts of Ivan and Cornelia, and take the Orb of Mind from them, everybody will be free, right? So they will come looking for me when all of this is over." Karol said, grinning and placing his hands on the sides of his hips.

"I see. And speaking of Zaphias, how does Estelle feel about the fact that we have no choice but to invade her hometown in order to chase the Abbey out of there? No doubt our upcoming invasion will bring a lot of damage to her hometown." Darren inquired.

"Don't worry. Buildings can always be rebuilt, right?" Estelle asked as she reaches the top of the stairs. Darren, Erza, Karol and Yuri look surprised for a moment to see that the mayor of Zaphias has come to join in on their conversation.

"Hello Estelle." Darren greeted her.

"Can't sleep either?" Erza asked.

"I was asleep until I realize Erza isn't in the quarters with me and the other girls." Estelle said, winking at Erza. "But like I said, it doesn't matter how much damage Zaphias will take in the upcoming battle. No matter how bad things can be, people will always get back up on their feet and regain everything they have lost. That's what I've learnt from travelling with all of you. No matter how tough the battle is, people will always find a way to overcome it."

"That's the spirit, Estelle." Yuri said, smiling and winking an eye at her.

"Yeah, you're right." Darren smiled at Estelle as well.

"Indeed. After an incident that traumatized me as a child, I would always feel scared and insecure about myself. That is why I was always wearing an armour. But not anymore. Being in Fairy Tail made me realized there is no reason for me to be scared any longer. Because everyone around me, whether they are friends or acquaintances, they too have their own battles to fight. Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Wendy…they all taught me that. And that's why I was finally able to overcome mine within time. And so did you, Darren." Erza said.

"Yeah, I guess you can say that." Darren said as he looks down at his hand. "Mavis told me that I have courage to endure all the pain that have afflicted upon me back in my world." He curls his hand into his fist before looking back at Erza. "But I never would have been able to overcome the loss of my friend and father if it wasn't for you guys. The warmth that I feel when you guys are around me…that's what help kept me living all this time, even when I was so close to dying in every battle that I have fought in."

Erza chuckled as her lips curved into a wide smile. "You spoke like a true member of Fairy Tail. I'm proud of you, my apprentice."

"And I am lucky to be your friend, my master." Darren said, smiling back at Erza.

"You know…I've learnt something from our times together too. When I started Brave Vesperia, I wanted my guild to be as big and famous as Fairy Tail. But now I realized that being a guild master isn't just about proving people that you can do stuff for others. It's about giving others a helping hand. That's all. As long as we are working together and doing our part in the fight against the Abbey, that's already enough to gain respect from others." Karol said to everyone.

"That's right." Erza said. "Keep following that philosophy and I'm sure one day, Brave Vesperia will just be as big as ours."

"Thanks, Erza." Karol smiled at her. He later scratches the back of his head. "Although I really shouldn't rush things and see Fairy Tail as my competitor right now. Maybe I should aim to be as big as a much smaller guild first. Like Quatro Puppy!"

"You mean Quatro Cerberus?" Estelle asked.

"Oh yeah." Karol smiled sheepishly.

"Hey, there's no rush for greatness, right?" Darren shrugged. Everyone laughed for a moment before Yuri places his hand on Darren's shoulder.

"Come on. Let's defeat the Abbey, and live on in a future we choose." Yuri said with a smirk. Darren nods his head again before placing his own hand on Yuri's shoulder.

"Right." Darren replied.

"Come on." Erza said to Darren, Yuri, Karol and Estelle. "Let's all get some rest."

* * *

Everyone woke up at the brink of dawn and stood outside their campsite. All the Rune Knights and Mizuhans stand together side by side and row by row, forming a large congregation. Standing in front of the large army are Team Natsu, Darren, Sheena, Brave Vesperia, Sophie, Lucas, Tryo, Macey, Sayyid, Mei, Kallen, Sumeragi, Ragna, Yui, Hina and Shinji as they all look to the front and gaze at Kirito, Nolan and Noel.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Listen up!" Nolan shouted at the top of his lungs as he, Kirito and Noel look back at the army with their brows furrowed. "We are about to begin our invasion of Zaphias! Thanks to the Mizuhans, they will be lending us the power of Volt to provide us a bigger advantage against the Abbey when we reach there! But if we want this campaign to be successful, if we want this violent war to end, we need to work together as one united army! Regardless of your race and background, we all share the same enemy, and we all share the same love for our country! Don't let your pride, prejudice and individual desires cloud your judgment now…for today, we will put an end to the Abbey, and restore peace back to our beloved nation! Today…we will triumph…as one people…one nation…and one Fiore!"

Everyone in front of him, Kirito and Noel shouted and cheered in unison as they raise their fists and weapons into the air.

"Then let's do this!" Nolan shouted again before he turned and lifts his finger to the direction of the Abbey's HQ. "Let us begin our march to Zaphias!"

* * *

As Cornelia stands on a hill about several miles away from the walls surrounding Zaphias, a man with slightly dark skin and black hair runs up to her from behind. When he is near her, he kneels down on a knee and bows his head.

"Report, Riah." Cornelia said, still staring at Zaphias in the distance with her hands behind her back.

"The Rune Knights and Mizuhans are on their way. As we speak, they should arrive here within ninety minutes. I estimate that there are about a thousand and six hundred of them." Riah said.

Cornelia's lips form into a wide smile. "Very well. Let them come." She said.

Riah smiled as well as he kept his head down. "As you wish, Madam."

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Amanny, AquaBluey, Amorikey, Auxility, Felipe1402XZA and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for reviewing, favoriting, following and checking out my story. Thanks everyone!**

 _ **Golden Time Lover**_ **is a song performed by Sukima Switch and was the third opening theme of** _ **Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.**_

 **Macey Rommedahl and Sayyid El-Shenawy are my OCs. Akeel Min Riah is a character from** _ **Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.**_


	38. Battle of Zaphias, Part 1

_**Battle of Zaphias, Part 1**_

Somewhere, about 500 meters away from the right wall of Zaphias, there is a lone clipper bird flying down towards the grass and perches its feet safely on the ground. The clipper bird takes a few quiet moments to peck at some unfortunate bugs and worms that happen to crawl around its location.

But suddenly, a Magic Council ship swiftly appears just a few meters beside the clipper bird, startling the creature. As the clipper squawks and flies away in fear, the back of the ship opens, revealing a total of eight hundred Rune Knights and Mizuhans including Nolan, Gray, Wendy, Darren, Alicia, and many others.

"Amazing. Thanks to Volt's magic powering up the ship's engines, we are able to arrive here in record time." Gray commented.

"That sacred beast truly is something." Darren said.

"Alright guys, Erza's group should be approaching the front of Zaphias by now!" Nolan shouted as he turns around to face everyone behind him. "Group 3! Follow me! Group 4! Follow Sayyid!"

"Aye!" All the Rune Knights and Mizuhans shouted in unison.

"Good luck, guys." Darren said to Nolan.

"You too." Nolan briefly pats Darren's shoulder before he, Noel, Gray, Wendy, Carla, Hina and Ragna turn to their right and head towards the right wall of Zaphias, along with 393 other Rune Knights and Mizuhans.

After they leave the ship, Darren, Alicia, Karol, Kirito, Yui, Shinji, Judith and Sayyid waited for a minute before they all draw out their weapons.

"You ready, Shinji?" Judith asked as she holds onto her spear.

"Y-y-yeah, you bet." Shinji said with an unconvincing grin as he holds up a capture gun, courtesy of Mei.

As he crosses his Elucidator and Dark Repulser, Kirito takes a deep breath and murmured, "May Volt watch over us." When he opens his eyes again, he lowers his swords and looks up with a glare. "LET'S GO!"

* * *

Meanwhile, the first group led by Erza, Sheena, Yuri, Estelle, Macey, Kallen and Mei are now engaged in a battle with the praetors stationed at the front wall of Zaphias. About 250 regular Rune Knights and Mizuhan soldiers clash against the praetors who are on the ground. The other praetors who are stationed in the watchtowers aim the magic cannons at Rune Knights and Mizuhans to aid their comrades.

Before the blasts could hit them from above, Macey finished typing on her tablet before she holds up her device and shouted, "SUMMON GIANT TABLE!"

Her tablet shoots a beam of energy into the air and above the army of Rune Knights and Mizuhans who are fighting the praetors. The end of the beam quickly forms a digitized giant table over them to protect the Knights and Mizuhans from the magic cannon blasts.

"Whoa! Amazing!" Mei cried in amusement as she, Erza, Yuri, Estelle, Sheena and Kallen gaze at the table in awe. They, Macey and 143 other Knights and Mizuhans are currently standing far away from the fight and staying at their current positions until they are given the signal from the other three groups.

"Thanks. My tablet has the ability to summon any type of object I desire, though there are still limitations to my magic." Macey replied as she continues holding her tablet up in the sky.

"Interesting. At the meantime, I think it's time for me to provide you some cover as you continue protecting our army." Erza said, tightening her grip on her sword as she and the others notice the praetors in the watchtowers are starting to turn their attention to them.

"Until we are told to do so, let's keep putting our faith in our friends." Sheena said as she holds up her paper.

"Right!" Yuri, Estelle, Kallen and Mei responded as they too draw out their weapons.

As the praetors in the watchtowers began aiming the cannons at them, Erza, Sheena, Kallen, Mei, Yuri and Estelle yell as they charge and join in the fight.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the left wall of Zaphias, Asbel Lhant hastily walks into one of the watchtowers and ordered the three praetors who are stationed inside.

"The enemy is approaching from the trees! Fire at will!" Asbel yelled as he jabs his finger at the trees in the distance. The praetors obliged and rush over to the magic cannon. As one of the praetors activates the cannon, the other two go over to the sides and slightly adjust it to aim the weapon at the direction where their superior is pointing. Asbel holds up his lacrima and speaks into it, "Cheria, how's your side?"

"Ready to fire as well. I'm glad Sophie is still alive." Cheria responded.

"Me too." Asbel replied before he puts his lacrima away.

A few moments later, the praetors in the watchtowers spotted Sumeragi, Sophie, Lucas, Tryo and 393 other Rune Knights and Mizuhans charging towards the wall.

"Fire!" Asbel and Cheria both shouted from the respective watchtowers they are stationed in. The praetors mercilessly fire the magic cannons down onto the opposing army.

"What? How do they know we are here?!" Lucas cried incredulously. The Mizuhans immediately unsheathe their swords and hold them up to form huge round-shaped magical barriers above them. The Rune Knights huddle behind the Mizuhans to protect themselves from the beams of energy launched from the magic cannons.

Suddenly, the ground in front of the walls sink, revealing a long trench that stretches from one watchtower to the other. A few seconds later, two hundred praetors armed with crossbows yell as they climb out from the trench and charge towards the army of Rune Knights and Mizuhans. As they run, the praetors aim their crossbows at them and fire their arrows.

Lucas and Tryo swiftly run past their soldiers and stand in front of them. They twirl their double-bladed sword and chain ball around to deflect the arrows. The frontmost row of Mizuhans positioned behind Lucas and Tryo quickly bring down their swords and form their barriers in front of them to block the arrows that manage to fly past the two Faction members. Sumeragi also comes forward and holds out her hands to form her own circular barrier to protect herself and the men behind her from the arrows.

As the praetors are trying to reload their crossbows, Lucas and Tryo prepare to step forward and fight them. But suddenly, Sophie dashes over to Lucas and punches him in the gut, causing him to yelp as he falls on his knees.

"Lucas!" Tryo cried, staring at her teammate in horror for only a second before Sophie dashes over to her and punches her across her face, sending her falling to the ground and releasing her weapon.

"You traitor!" Sumeragi shouted as she and the other Rune Knights and Mizuhans run over to her. Sophie swiftly runs over to Sumeragi, turns her around and wraps her arm around her neck.

"Stand down or she dies!" Sophie demanded the Rune Knights and Mizuhans. Sumeragi pursed her lips and nods her head, ordering her army to do as she says.

As the Rune Knights and Mizuhans put their weapons down and hold their arms up in the air, the praetors surround their enemy and aim their crossbows at them. Asbel and Cheria leap down from the top of the wall and charge over to Lucas and Tryo as they try to get up.

Asbel quickly brings down the bottom of the hilt of his sword onto Lucas's head, knocking him back down on the ground. Cheria swiftly gets out her dagger and holds it in front of Tryo's throat.

"Great job, Sophie. It's good to have you back with us." Asbel said to Sophie.

"We should have known. Once a praetor, always a praetor." Sumeragi muttered.

"Silence!" Sophie shouted at her as she tightens her arm against Sumeragi's neck, causing her to yelp.

"It's almost amusing how you guys easily stand down as soon as we capture your commanders. All of you truly are weak." Asbel said to the enemy army in front of him. Suddenly, he frowns in confusion when he heard Lucas snickering. He looks down at him and asked, "Why do you laugh at your defeat?"

"Ahahaha, sorry." Lucas catches his breath after managing to bring his laughter to a halt. "It's just…are you sure you capture _all_ of their commanders?"

Asbel and Cheria drop their jaws upon hearing their fellow praetors crying in pain. They and the other praetors turn their heads back to the top of the wall and see Natsu, Lucy and Happy taking out the men still stationed inside the watchtowers.

Inside the left watchtower, Natsu slams the side of a praetor's head against the wall. After taking him out, he runs over to another praetor and delivers a clothesline right into his face. When the praetor falls to the ground unconscious, another one wraps his arms around Natsu from behind, only for the Fire Dragon Slayer to grab his arm, throws him over his head and slams him onto the ground. Natsu knocks him out by throwing his fist into his face.

Meanwhile in the other watchtower, Lucy coils her whip around a praetor. She swings him to the side and slams him against the wall to knock him out. Another praetor runs over to her, but Lucy quickly leaps into the air and performs her Lucy Kick directly into her face. The remaining praetor attempts to swing his sword vertically at her from behind but Happy flies over to cover his face and wraps his wings around his head.

"Gah! Get off me!" The praetor yells as he successfully grabs the back of Happy's neck and tosses him away. But as soon as he does, Lucy runs over to him, grabs the back of his head, and slams his forehead against the cannon to knock him out.

While they are distracted, the Mizuhans form their circular barriers in front of them again and as they thrust their hands forward, they send them flying towards the praetors with crossbows to send them sprawling through the ground.

Sumeragi jabs her elbow into Sophie's gut, causing her to cry in pain as she releases her and backs away.

"Sophie!" Asbel and Cheria cried in horror.

Suddenly, Lucas grabs Asbel by his ankle and trips him as he gets up, sending him falling onto his back. Before he could get up, Lucas quickly kicks him in the chin, kicking off his helmet in the process to reveal his short dark red hair and blue and purple eyes. Asbel looks up at Lucas for only a second before he stomps his foot onto his forehead to knock him out.

Tryo swiftly grabs Cheria's wrist with her right hand and jabs her left elbow into her gut, knocking her back and causing her to drop her dagger. As she gets up and turns around, Tryo delivers an uppercut to the bottom of Cheria's chin, sending her flying into the air and removing her helmet in the process to reveal her wavy shoulder-length bright red hair. But Cheria quickly recovers and performs a backwards somersault before landing on the ground safely. She draws out two more daggers from the bottom of her sleeves as she does.

"You will pay for this!" Cheria shouted at Tryo as she looks back up at her with fiery dark brown eyes.

But just as Cheria gets up and prepare to charge at Tryo, Sophie dashes over to her and delivers a powerful punch to her gut, causing her to gasp in pain and drop her daggers.

"S-S-Sophie, why?" Cheria managed to choke out incredulously.

"Sorry Cheria. It's for your own good." Sophie said into her ear before she places her hand on her chest and pushes her to the ground. As Cheria lies helplessly on the ground, Sumeragi walks over to her side and looks down at her.

"This is for my friends." Sumeragi said flatly before she stomps her foot onto Cheria's forehead.

After taking out the praetors in the watchtowers, Natsu, Lucy and Happy gather at the centre of the wall. The exceed wraps his tail around Natsu, who wraps his arms around Lucy. Both Natsu and Lucy smile as they face each other before Happy lifts them up into the air. The exceed safely delivers both mages down towards the ground.

"Is everyone okay?" Natsu asked as he and Lucy land gently on the ground.

"Yes, we are." Lucas said to him. "The Rune Knights and Mizuhans are currently knocking out the other praetors as we speak."

"Great idea in deceiving the praetors in the left wall including Asbel and Cheria." Lucy said to Sophie as she gives her a thumbs-up.

"Yeah. We just took out both the left wall and two lieutenants at the same time. Two birds in one stone, eh?" Lucas said, winking an eye at Sophie.

"And thank you for not killing Asbel and Cheria. Although their minds are not in the right place before, they really are kind people." Sophie said to everyone around her.

"You're welcome." Tryo said as she walks over to Sophie. "And one more thing." Suddenly, Tryo punches Sophie across her face, much to the shock of Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Lucas and Sumeragi. "There, now we are even."

"Yeah. I punched you really hard back there, didn't I? Sorry." Sophie said nonchalantly as she rubs her right cheek.

Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Lucas and Sumeragi all look even more dumbfounded by Sophie's casual response.

"How is she able to take that so lightly?" Happy uttered.

"She really takes it like a man, uh, woman." Lucas added.

After they all snap out of their thoughts, Sumeragi said to the others, "Once we finish taking out all the praetors here, some of the Mizuhans and I will stay behind to look after them. The rest of you will head inside."

"Got it." Natsu said solemnly before he, Lucy, Lucas, Tryo and Sophie turn to the other Rune Knights and Mizuhans who are still dealing with the praetors who got back up from the ground. "Let's go help them out."

The others nod their heads and they all join in the fight.

* * *

Meanwhile, the praetors stationed at the back of Zaphias are engaged with the group led by Sayyid, Judith, Darren, Alicia, Karol, Kirito, Yui and Shinji.

After pressing several buttons in front of her, Yui presses the red button and sets up a huge barrier that covers her, Sayyid, Judith, Darren, Alicia, Karol, Kirito, Shinji and about 200 other Rune Knights and Mizuhans soldiers, right before the praetors in the watchtowers fire the cannons at them.

After getting their attention, Sayyid and Judith turn to each other and nod their heads. He wraps an arm around Judith's shoulders before he draws out a dagger from the small scabbard around his right lower leg. He turns to the second watchtower and notices the battlement next to it on the right. He swiftly throws his dagger at it and as soon as his weapon makes contact with the brick, he and Judith find themselves at the battlement in an instant. Judith quickly climbs over the battlement as Sayyid hangs onto his dagger and places his boots against the wall.

Judith dashes into the nearest watchtower where the praetors are still busy firing the cannon at the enemy on the ground. She charges over to the praetor operating the cannon and slams his forehead against the monitor to knock him out.

"What the-" That was all the praetor at the right side of the cannon could say before Judith swings her spear horizontally and knock against the left side of his head, sending him falling to the ground where he slips into unconsciousness. The other praetor at the left side of the cannon tries to unsheathe his sword but Judith quickly turns to him and kicks him in the gut, sending him slamming against the wall. Judith runs over to him and delivers two punches across his cheeks before slamming the back of his head against the wall to knock him out.

Meanwhile, Sayyid is inside the other watchtower where he had just took out all three praetors who were operating the other cannon. He and Judith walk over to the large window in front of them where they both give their thumbs-up to their fellow soldiers on the ground.

"Alright! Let's advance!" Kirito shouted. Darren, Alicia, Karol, Yui, Shinji and the other Rune Knights and Mizuhans cheer as they run over to the wall. When they are near the wall, everyone takes turns to climb up. Darren, Alicia, Karol, Kirito, Yui and Shinji are the first to go. They draw out their grappling guns which Mei gave them before and aim them at the top of the wall. They fire their guns and watch the hooks cling onto the battlements. Darren, Alicia, Karol, Kirito, Yui and Shinji hold onto their guns tightly with both hands and they pull the trigger to pull themselves up into the air.

Upon reaching the top of the wall, Kirito takes out his lacrima and reported, "This is Kirito. The back wall has been secured."

" _Roger. This is Nolan Mathias. The right wall is secured as well." Nolan responded._

" _This is Natsu. The left wall is also secured." Natsu added. "Let's inform Erza."_

* * *

At the front of Zaphias, Erza, now dressed in her Heaven's Wheel armour, took out another five praetors by flying through them and deliver two massive strikes with her swords. Yuri and Estelle swing their sword and rod at the same time to combine their blasts together and take out eight praetors in front of them. Kallen fires several blasts with her armoured arm to take out four praetors. Sheena punches a praetor to the ground before she jumps up and delivers a powerful kick to another praetor's head. As she lands on the ground, one praetor aims his crossbow at her from behind and tries to fire. But suddenly, Mei aims the blasters around the bottom of her chest and fires a pair of metal wires at the praetor. The wires coil around the praetor and suddenly, he drops his crossbow and screams in pain as the wires electrocute him. Mei releases the wires from him a few seconds later and the praetor briefly wobbles about before collapsing onto the ground on his face.

After knocking out another praetor, Erza felt her lacrima vibrating. She takes it out and answers it.

" _Erza! Natsu, Kirito and I have secured the other walls! Time for you to do your thing!" Nolan said._

"Music to my ears." Erza replied with a smile. After putting her lacrima away, she turns and bellowed, "MIZUHANS! UNLEASH YOUR POWER!"

As Macey lowers her tablet and collapses on her knees in exhaustion, the giant table above the Rune Knights, Mizuhans and praetors disappears. As it does, the Mizuhans push the praetors back with their swords before they all swing their weapons vertically. All their swords fired huge vertical waves of Volt's lightning at the praetors, sending them flying through the air and slamming against the walls. The praetors inside the watchtowers stare at the display in shock and bewilderment.

"Now it's my turn." Sheena said as she throws four purple papers at the four watchtowers. As the papers land on the cannons, Sheena swiftly made several hand gestures, multiplying the papers and illuminating them in white light.

"GET BACK!" One of the praetors shouted before they all whirl about and get out of the watchtowers. The papers explode and destroy the cannons and watchtowers in the process. As huge debris fall to the ground below, the praetors scream as they run away in fear. When she sees some debris about to fall onto a group of five praetors, Estelle quickly holds out her hands and form a huge barrier over them. The praetors watch in awe as the barrier protects them from the debris. After Estelle takes down the barrier, Mei flies over to them with her hover soles. She knocks out the praetors with an electrical baton to their heads as she frantically spins around in circles. When she came to a halt, Mei looks back at the now unconscious praetors as she deactivates her baton.

"You guys can thank us later." Mei said.

As the Rune Knights and Mizuhans go up to them, the praetors kneel down and place their weapons on the ground before they hold their hands up in the air. The Rune Knights and Mizuhans respond by slamming the bottom of their weapons onto the praetors' heads to knock them unconscious.

"Sheena! Destroy the doors for the army!" Erza ordered Sheena.

"You got it." Sheena said as she draws out another purple paper.

"Yuri, Estelle, Kallen, Mei, follow me to the wall!" Erza said to the others.

"Right!" Yuri, Estelle and Kallen replied in unison.

"Woohoo! We are finally going to use it!" Mei said as she holds up her fists and trembles in excitement.

As Erza, Yuri, Estelle, Kallen and Mei go up to the wall, they look up and draw out their grappling guns. They aim them at the battlements and pull the triggers. After seeing their hooks clinging onto the battlements, Erza, Yuri, Estelle, Kallen and Mei fire again and pull themselves up in the air.

"WHEEEEEEEE!" Mei squealed.

When they reach the top, Erza, Yuri, Estelle, Kallen and Mei climb over the battlements before putting away their grappling guns. Meanwhile, Sheena throws the purple paper onto the large doors and made several hand gestures. The papers multiply into hundreds and they all illuminate in white light. This is followed by a huge explosion and the doors are destroyed into pieces.

"CHARGE!" Sheena bellowed as she points her finger at the direction of the Abbey HQ. The Rune Knights and Mizuhans yell as they run into the town of Zaphias.

As the smoke begins to clear, Mei puts on her goggles. She sees a group of a hundred praetors running towards the Rune Knights and Mizuhans, and it is led by a praetor in grey uniform who holds a pair of curved swords.

"I see a grey praetor with a pair of curved swords in a distance." Mei said.

"That's probably Ludger Will Kresnik." Erza said as she narrows her eyes. "I'll deal with him."

Erza closes her eyes as she magically transforms into her Clear Heart Clothing. Her scarlet hair is now tied to a long ponytail and her outfit now consists of a white sarashi around her upper chest and a red hakama with gold flame-like patterns. Her swords also changed into a pair of katanas.

"Oooooohhh, I like that." Mei commented as she examines Erza's new outfit in amusement.

"Yuri, Estelle, make your way to the left side of the town to join Natsu and Lucy." Erza ordered. "Sheena and Mei will go to the right side to help Nolan, Noel and Gray. Kallen can come with me."

"Right." Kallen replied before she and Erza jump high into the air and leap across several rooftops.

"Come on Yuri." Estelle said as she extends a hand to Yuri. He looks up and see a determined smile on her face. "Let's go liberate this town."

"You got it, ma'am." Yuri smiled back at her as he takes her hand. He pulls her over to him and Estelle wraps her arm tightly around his shoulders. Yuri aims his grappling gun at the rooftop of the nearest building and pulls the trigger. After the hook grabs onto the chimney at the rooftop, Yuri fires again and pulls himself over to the building along with Estelle.

"Ready to join the battle?" Sheena asked Mei.

"Always ready, lady summoner." Mei grins as she gives her a thumbs-up. Sheena leaps over to the nearest building on the right while Mei uses her jetpack to fly into the air and follow her.

Meanwhile, the Rune Knights and Mizuhans are now engaged in battle with Ludger and his army of praetors. The Mizuhans swing their swords to fire waves of electricity at the praetors, who bring up their shields to block them.

Two Rune Knights thrust their spears at Ludger. But he jumps into the air and performs a somersault before landing on the ground behind them. He whirls about and diagonally slash their backs with his swords. One Mizuhan soldier goes over and swings his sword diagonally to fire a wave of electricity at him. But Ludger whirls about and deflects the wave by swinging his left sword horizontally. He twirls his right sword around, turning it into a pistol and fires a bullet back at him. The Mizuhan yells in pain as he gets shot at the side of his lower torso and falls to the ground on his back. As two Mizuhans attend him, another one runs over and delivers a series of slashes at Ludger. Ludger deflects all of them with his left sword before he knocks the sword out of his hand and delivers a powerful kick to his chest, sending him sprawling through the ground. As the Mizuhan soldier came to a halt, Erza and Kallen come down and lands on the ground in front of him. The two women dash over to Ludger and prepare to fight him.

Ludger twirls his other sword around and turns it into another pistol. Erza reaches him and swings her swords vertically at him. Ludger swiftly dodges them by moving side to side before he briefly jumps up and kicks Erza away by her right shoulder. When Ludger sees Kallen coming closer to him, he quickly fires a bullet at her with his left pistol. Kallen stops and blocks it by holding up her armoured arm. She holds out her right hand and forms a small orb of crimson energy.

"GUREN BLAST!" Kallen shouted as she fires a huge beam of crimson energy at Ludger. Ludger quickly turns his pistols into his swords and crosses them. He blocks the beam of energy with his swords, but the impact sends his feet sliding through the ground backwards. He lets out a yell as Kallen's attack dies down and he manages to swing his swords forward as the blast dissipates.

As the Rune Knights, Mizuhans and praetors continue fighting each other around them, Erza goes over to Kallen and the two women get into their fighting stances. Ludger twirls his left sword around to turn it back into his pistol and he prepares to fight as well.

For a few seconds, the three waited for someone to make the first step. But eventually, the three charge at each other at the same time.

Kallen fires a blast of crimson energy at Ludger. Ludger deflects the blast with his right sword before firing a bullet at Kallen with his left pistol. Kallen gets down, slides through the ground, and throws her head back to dodge the bullet. When Erza and Ludger are near each other, the former swings her right katana vertically at the latter. Ludger blocks the katana with his right sword before Erza swings her other katana diagonally upwards at him. Ludger rolls himself to the left to dodge the attack and as he gets up, he fires his left pistol at Erza twice. Erza blocks both bullets with her katanas as Kallen gets back up. Kallen runs over to Ludger and throws her right fist at him. Ludger turns to her and deflects her armoured fist by swinging his right sword horizontally, knocking her back.

As Ludger gets up to face Kallen, he fires another bullet at Erza again. As Erza deflects the bullet with her katana, Ludger delivers several slashes at Kallen with his right sword. Kallen barely manages to keep up with him and block all his attacks with her armoured arm. After deflecting another horizontal slash from Ludger, Kallen looks back at him and is shocked to see him pointing his pistol at her face. Before he could pull the trigger, Erza dashes over to him and swings her left katana down onto his left pistol. Ludger drops it after getting sliced off by Erza's katana, and Kallen takes the opportunity to deliver an uppercut to the bottom of his chin. As Ludger stumbles backwards, his helmet is flown off into the air and lands on the ground behind him.

As Erza and Kallen stood beside each other again, Ludger looks back up at them to show off his blue-green eyes. As the wind blows through his silver hair with black ends, he wipes off some blood from the side of his mouth before getting back up and summons his left sword.

Ludger soon charges at the two women. As Ludger swings both swords horizontally at them, Erza and Kallen manage to block them with their katanas and armoured arm. But the impact of the swings sends them stumbling to the side. Ludger turns to Kallen and swings his left sword diagonally downwards at her. Kallen turns back to Ludger in time to deflect the attack. But Ludger quickly thrusts his right sword at her, slashing her across the left side of her torso. Kallen cries in pain as she gets down on a knee. Ludger delivers an overhead strike with both of his swords at Kallen, who blocks them by holding up her armoured arm. Kallen quickly throws a punch at Ludger's torso with her left fist. Ludger briefly stumbles backwards before he turns around and delivers a horizontal strike at the side of Kallen's head with both swords.

But before he could do that, Erza thrusts her left katana and fires a bolt of lightning at Ludger's back. He yells in pain as he stops in mid-swing and drops his swords.

Kallen chuckled at Erza as she tries to cover the wound on the left side of her torso and murmured, "The power of Volt flows through you."

Erza charges over to Ludger just as he turns around to her. She temporarily dematerializes her swords as she goes near him. She delivers two punches across his face before she throws another one to his gut. But Ludger grabs her right fist and throws his forehead down on Erza's head. As Erza stumbles backwards, Ludger takes the opportunity to roll over to the side and grabs his swords. As Ludger dashes over to Erza, he swings both his swords diagonally at Erza. Erza dodges them by backing away. She lifts her leg up and delivers a roundhouse kick to Ludger's chest.

As he stumbles backwards, Ludger dematerializes his swords and summons his right pistol. He fires several shots at Erza, who swiftly dodges them by moving side to side as she makes her way to him. When she reaches him, Ludger swings his right pistol at her face as a desperate final move, but Erza swipes away his pistol and throws another powerful punch across his left cheek.

As Ludger collapses onto the ground, Erza goes over to him and prepares to stomp her foot onto the back of his head. But suddenly, Ludger lets out another yell as his entire body illuminates with white light. A massive amount of energy burst out from his body which sends Erza flying through the air. But she performs a backwards somersault and lands herself safely on the ground. As she looks back up, she sees Ludger slowly getting himself up while his body is still glowing brightly. And when he stands back up, the light around his body dies down, revealing his new appearance. Erza widens her eyes and gapes her mouth open as she sees that Ludger's hair is now all white. His face is all grey and his body is a mixture of black and dark grey with glowing yellow highlights. He has spikes on his upper arms, wrists and legs and he also now wields a double-bladed spear.

"So this…is his hidden form." Erza murmured.

Ludger holds up his new weapon in front of him for a moment before he suddenly dashes over to Erza. Erza quickly summons her katanas just as Ludger delivers two diagonal strikes with his double-bladed spear. Erza manages to deflect them, but when she is wide open, Ludger quickly delivers a massive kick to her stomach. Erza gasps as she sent flying through the air and slamming against a praetor and a Rune Knight behind her.

After the three of them fall onto the ground together, Erza slightly gets up and turns to the praetor. She knocks him out at the back of his head with the bottom of her katana before she gets back up on her feet and runs back to Ludger.

Erza swings her katanas vertically at Ludger, who blocks them with both blades of his double-bladed spear. He briefly jumps up and kicks Erza away. He proceeds to swing down his double-bladed spear multiple times at Erza, who barely manages to block all of them. But eventually, after managing to deflect Erza's left katana away, Ludger thrusts his double-bladed spear at her. Erza moves to the side to dodge it, but its blade still manages to slash across her left shoulder, causing her to grit her teeth in pain.

As she turns her head back to Ludger, she charges up her right katana with Volt's electricity and swings it diagonally upwards at him. He holds up the other blade of his double-bladed spear to block it, but the impact sends him rolling over to the ground.

Ludger quickly gets up and throws his double-bladed spear through the air. As the weapon spins around, Erza leaps into the air to dodge it. The weapon barely misses her lower torso as Erza performs a somersault in the air. As Erza lands back on the ground, the double-bladed spear ends up flying backwards and make its way over to her back. But Erza whirls about to deflect the spear with her katanas, pushing it aside. Ludger extends his left arm, causing the double-bladed spear to fly back to his left hand. As soon as he grabs it, Ludger leaps into the air as Erza turns back to him. Erza manages to block an overhead strike from him. But Ludger quickly delivers two horizontal swings with his spear and knocks both katanas out of Erza's hands. Ludger thrusts his spear at her chest, ready to finish her off. But Erza holds her hand in front of her chest…to form a small electric barrier with Volt's power to block the blade of Ludger's spear. Both Ludger and Erza grit their teeth as the former steps forward and uses all his strength to break through the barrier.

But suddenly, Ludger turns his head to his left when he heard Kallen yell. The red-haired woman charges over and tackles him, causing him to drop his double-bladed spear. As Kallen pushes him, Ludger maintains his ground as his feet drags through the ground. He desperately brings down his fists onto Kallen's back several times. When Kallen came to a halt, she stands back up and swings her fists at Ludger, but he grabs both of her wrists to stop her punches. Then, Kallen flashes a quick smirk at him as she opens her right hand and forms an orb of crimson energy. Ludger widens his eyes and drops his jaw in horror for barely a second before Kallen fires a large beam of crimson energy at his face, sending him sprawling through the ground.

When the smoke is clear, Ludger groans as he slowly tries to get back up. But suddenly, Erza falls through the air and slams her feet onto his lower torso, causing him to yell in pain as his hidden form disappears and he reverts to his normal self. The two fighters look back at each other for a few seconds as they breathe heavily from exhaustion. Ludger closes his eyes and pursed his lips as he accepts his defeat. Erza gave her opponent a warm smile before she knocks him out by stomping her foot onto his forehead.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Amanny, AquaBluey and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for reviewing and checking out my story. Thanks!**


	39. Battle of Zaphias, Part 2

_**Battle of Zaphias, Part 2**_

Meanwhile, at the eastern area of Zaphias, the Rune Knights and Mizuhans are fighting against the praetors, allowing their commanders, Nolan, Noel, Gray, Wendy, Carla, Hina and Ragna, to go pass the enemy by leaping and running from rooftop to rooftop or flying through the air.

"Is it really alright for us to just leave them behind?" Hina asked while being carried in Ragna's arms.

"They are risking their lives to allow us to complete the mission. So our duty now is to not let their sacrifices be in vain." Wendy replied to her while being carried by Carla's tail in the air.

"She's right. We can't let our men down." Nolan said. There was a brief moment of silence among the group as they continue making their way towards the town hall when suddenly, Gray turns his head and noticed a praetor in grey jumping high into the air and making his way towards them.

"Look out! A praetor on our right!" Gray shouted. As everyone quickly came to a halt, the praetor in grey lands onto the rooftop and in front of Nolan and Gray.

"Gray!" Wendy cried as Carla flies over to him and Nolan.

"Nolan!" Carla added as she quickly places Wendy down on the rooftop and beside Gray. As soon as the Sky Dragon Slayer lands on the roof, she enlarges her cheeks and blows a huge gust of wind to clear the smoke in front of Gray and Nolan, revealing the praetor in grey with a sword in his left hand. He gets into his fighting stance and prepares to fight them.

"Hang in there, Nolan!" Noel calls out to her fellow rune knight as she draws out her revolvers. But suddenly, Ragna notices another praetor in grey leaping into the air in the distance and heading towards Noel.

"Noel!" Ragna shouted as he quickly places Hina down and runs over to her.

"Enter the amazing Guy!" The praetor in gray proclaimed as he unsheathes his katana-like sword from his scabbard, performs a somersault and delivers an overhead strike on Noel. But Ragna places himself in front of her in time and lifts his sword up to block the praetor's attack.

As Ragna pushes the praetor back, Noel aims her revolvers at him while he is in mid-air and fires several bullets. The praetor quickly swings his sword around to deflect the bullets before he safely lands onto the rooftop.

"Who are you fiends that have trespass our territory?" The praetor inquired as he stands back up and points his sword at Noel and Ragna.

"Funny when this once peaceful town doesn't belong to you in the first place!" Ragna yelled at him.

"And did you say that your name is Guy?" Noel asked with an arched eyebrow.

"That's right." The praetor replied gleefully as he places his other hand on his chest. He stabs his sword into the rooftop before he removes his helmet and sways his spiky blonde hair side to side. He opens his eyelids, revealing his green pupils and gave a wide smile at Ragna and Noel, who both look equally dumbfounded and unamused by his charismatic behavior. "I am Lieutenant Guy Cecil. Pleasure to be your fine opponent."

"Enough with the flamboyant introduction, Guy! We got a job to do!" The other praetor shouted at Guy as he temporarily turns his attention away from Nolan, Gray, Wendy, and Carla.

"Yes, Luke fon Fabre." Guy replied to the praetor and he gestures to Wendy. "You keep that girl away from me while I deal with these two men." Wendy grumbles in response.

Luke growls under his breath as he turns back to Nolan, Gray, Wendy, and Carla and holds up his sword.

"So, your name is Luke fon Fabre." Gray said as he uses his Ice Make Magic to create his Ice Sword. Nolan draws out his scimitars as he gets ready to fight as well.

"Yeah, so?!" Luke yelled back at Gray in annoyance. "Are you a broken recorder that just repeats what my friend said?! Today is a rare opportunity for all of us to relax and mind our own business until you guys show up to ruin the day! You are all going to pay for this!"

"Chill, my man. At least we are helping you get your ass up to do some important work." Nolan shrugs his shoulder with a smirk. "If your rank of Lieutenant is true, you should be setting an example to your fellow knights."

Nolan's comments had struck a nerve on Luke.

"Yeah. If this is how one of the lieutenants of the Abbey behaves, it's no wonder why the morale of the praetors had gone down." Carla commented with a lopsided smirk.

Luke snarls and points his sword at them.

"Are you all here to fight or back-sass me?!" Luke yelled. "I'll let you know that I have won the last three battles during the last three months!"

"An average of one battle per month?" Nolan chuckled. "I wonder why the higher-ups never send you out often?"

"What did you say?!" Luke shouted furiously.

"Sheesh, if you can't handle a little opinion from some people, why even become a knight at all?" Gray asked with an arched eyebrow.

"He probably has a big ego, but a small skull to contain it." Wendy said as she slightly tilts her head to the side.

"ENOUGH!" Luke bellowed at his opponents. He removes his helmet and slams it onto the rooftiles. As he breathes heavily in rage, he looks back up at them, revealing his dark green eyes and long red hair that goes all the way down to the back of his waist. "Don't underestimate me! I'll show you the true power of the son of the noble Fabre family!"

Luke lets out a furious yell as he charges towards Nolan. He swings his sword diagonally at him, which Nolan manages to deflect with his right scimitar. Luke quickly slams his sword down onto the rooftop, causing him to burst up with huge amounts of energy that sends Nolan flying through the air.

"Nolan!" Carla cries as she quickly flies over to catch him by coiling her tail around his body.

Meanwhile, Gray and Wendy dash over to Luke. Gray swings his sword horizontally at Luke, who blocks it and bring both of their weapons down. When he does, Luke brings down his forehead against Gray and knocks him back. As Gray backs away, Luke swiftly swings his right arm across his head, sending the mage turning around and falling on his face.

As soon as he falls, Wendy jumps into the air and throws her arms back.

"SKY DRAGON'S WING ATTACK!" Wendy shouted as she throws her arms down and fires two large rotating whirlwinds at Luke.

"RAGING BLAST!" Luke yelled as he thrusts his right hand forward and fires a huge orb of energy at Wendy's attack. The orb of energy disperses Wendy's whirlwinds as it flies through them, much to the surprise of the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Wendy!" Both Nolan and Carla cry as they fly over to her. Nolan quickly wraps his arms around Wendy and Carla pulls them out of the way in time before the orb of energy flies past them.

"ICE MAKE: FLOOR!" Gray slams his hand on the rooftiles, creating an icy floor beneath him and Luke's feet. Luke briefly yelps as he almost lost his balance, but he quickly stabs his sword through the ice and hangs onto the hilt tightly to keep himself standing. As Gray gets up and runs over to Luke, he tries to deliver a punch at him. Luke dodges it by moving to the side and delivers an uppercut to the bottom of Gray's chin. As Gray backs away, Luke jumps up and delivers a kick to him. Gray crosses his arms to block the kick, which sends him sliding back by a few meters. As Luke lands back on the ice, Gray runs over to him again and delivers a swift punch across his left cheek. Luke yelps and Gray quickly punches him in the gut. Luke pulls out his sword from the ice as he stumbles backwards. Gray picks up his Ice Sword from the ground and runs over to Luke to continue their fight.

As Luke and Gray are still busy fighting each other, on top of the buildings on the other side, Guy and Ragna clash their swords against each other and stayed in a stalemate.

"You're pretty tough for an older guy, I'll give you that." Guy remarked with a smirk.

"And you lack discipline for a younger guy like you." Ragna replied as he manages to push Guy back. Noel suddenly leaps into the air from behind Ragna and as she twirls around in the air, she fires multiple bullets at Guy. Guy grins as he swiftly swings his sword around to deflect all her bullets.

"He's fast." Hina said with her eyes wide as she idly watches from a distance.

As soon as Noel lands back on the rooftiles, Guy charges over to her. He swings his sword horizontally at her. Noel deflects it by swinging her right revolver horizontally. She quickly lifts her left revolver up and fires a shot. Guy dodges the bullet by moving to his left and he delivers a vertical strike at Noel. Noel quickly crosses her revolvers and holds them up to block his attack. As Noel pushes him back, Guy takes the opportunity to jump up and deliver a kick to her chest, sending her sprawling through the rooftiles.

Ragna comes over from the left side of Guy and swings his sword vertically at him.

"Not a chance!" Guy exclaimed as he swiftly turns to Ragna and swing his sword horizontally in the air to deflect his sword. Guy turns away from Ragna for a moment before he leaps up, twirls around and swings his sword as he unleashes a light green whirlwind around him. "SEVERING WIND!"

Ragna yells as the whirlwind sends him flying around in circles for a few seconds before he finds himself flying off the roof and falling onto the road below with a hard thud.

"Ragna!" Hina cried before she leaps off the rooftop and hastily runs over to him.

Noel groans as she tries to get herself up. But suddenly, Guy places his boot on top of her chest and pins her back down on the rooftiles.

"Sir!" Guy barked as he aims the tip of his sword at Noel's face. "You are not going any-"

Suddenly, Guy cuts himself off when the beret on Noel's head falls off, revealing her long blonde hair. Guy gasps and widens his eyes in horror.

"Y-y-you…y-y-y-you're…y-y-you are-"

"Ngh." Noel looks back up at Guy. "Yes. I'm a woman."

"Then that means-" Guy looks down at her chest and realized that his feet is placed between her… "GYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

It was as if within half a second, all the courage, pride, and arrogance that Guy had just displayed earlier has completely vanished. He hurriedly backs away from Noel until he is about twenty meters away from her. He sheathes his sword back into his scabbard and trembles uncontrollably as he wraps his arms around his body.

"I-I-I-I-I-I've been violated!" Guy shrieked in agony. Noel gets herself up from the rooftiles, puts away her revolvers and points her finger at Guy.

"Yes, Guy! We know your weakness!" Noel yelled. "You have gynophobia, which makes you afraid of girls! I was just waiting for the right time to scare you off!"

"Yeah, I still couldn't believe it myself either." Wendy muttered from the top of the buildings on the other side. She swiftly turns back to Luke, who just swings his sword horizontally at her. Wendy swiftly throws herself back to dodge the attack before she jumps in the air and swings her leg horizontally to throw a gust of wind at Luke, sending him flying back. As soon as she lands back on the roof, Wendy charges over to him.

"Now, you will let my friends and I continue our way to your headquarters, or you will be violated further!" Noel continued.

"Curse you fiend! How dare you hide your true identity from me!" Guy cried at Noel.

"And how can you not realize that I'm a girl?!" Noel snapped as she lowers her finger and stomps her foot. "I'm wearing a dress for crying out loud!"

"B-B-But your chest is lacking!" Guy yelled.

"Huh?!" Noel cried incredulously. "L-L-Lacking?!"

"A-A-And how do I say this?" Guy murmured as he turns away from Noel for a moment. He looks back at her and yelled again, "They are so reserved! That's why I thought…"

Noel's eyes darkened as Guy's ramblings now fall into deaf ears. As the words from his mouth still play inside her mind, she clenches her fists and quivers in rage.

"Lacking? Reserved?"

As she grits her teeth, Noel looks back up at Guy with fire now burning in her eyes.

"And so I was thinking, huh?" Guy looks back at Noel dumbfounded.

"I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR YOUR SLANDERING!" Noel shrieked as she now makes a mad dash at him. Guy screams in sheer terror as he just stood there and helplessly watch the monstrous woman advancing towards him.

"FROST BITE!"

Before Noel could reach Guy, a huge tombstone made of ice suddenly forms between them. Noel quickly came to a halt and leaps away from it. As she draws out her revolvers, the tombstone shatters into pieces and Noel notices a blonde-haired man with green eyes sheathing his katana-like sword back into his scabbard as he stands beside Guy. The man is dressed in a sleeveless blue jacket with red and yellow highlights, over a white and blue Japanese-like tunic, over a black turtleneck suit and leggings. He also wears long blue sleeves with yellow and black ends over his upper arms, white gloves, and blue boots.

The man lets out a sigh and said, "A nuisance as always, Lieutenant Cecil."

"Oh, thank goodness you're here, my trusted Second Lieutenant!" Guy cried as he immediately embraces the man with tears pouring out from his eyes.

"Sir, please stand back while I deal with this woman." The second lieutenant said flatly.

"Yes, of course!" Guy releases his arms and nods his head frantically before placing himself behind the man.

"Who are you?" Noel asked Guy's second lieutenant.

"Like all other praetors, I am dispatched in mankind's darkest hour." The second lieutenant said as he gets into his fighting stance and firmly places one hand on the hilt of his sword. "I am a knight of the white flame. I am Second Lieutenant Jin Kisaragi!"

Jin suddenly dashes towards Noel. Noel barely reacted in time as she throws herself back to dodge a horizontal swing from Jin's sword. Noel moves to her left to dodge a vertical strike from Jin. Jin swings his sword horizontally at Noel again, but this time, she deflects it by swinging her right revolver. Finally, Jin delivers another vertical strike at Noel, who blocks it by crossing her revolvers together. Noel grits her teeth as she and Jin push their weapons against each other. Jin glares coldly at her without saying a word.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Ragna and Hina had been watching the two fight each other on the rooftop.

"Come on! We got to go help her!" Hina said. Ragna nods his head. As soon as Ragna leaps into the air, another person flies over to him and delivers a spinning kick to his lower torso, sending him falling back to the ground.

"What the?" Hina said incredulously as the mysterious man lands back on the ground. Ragna quickly recovers and looks up to take a good look at him. He has short dark blue hair with blue eyes and wears glasses. His outfit consists of a dark-blue one-piece suit with white armor, long and large silver boosters around his abdomen and sticking out from the back, white vambraces, white leg armor with gold boosters on both sides of his legs, and white boots.

"You two aren't going anywhere." The man said flatly before adjusting his glasses. "I should be your main focus." Ragna growls before he gets up from the ground.

"Are you ready, Hina?" Ragna asked as he and Hina get into their battle stances.

"Hai." Hina replied as she nods her head.

"My name is Ragna the Bloodedge." Ragna said to the praetor.

"I'm Hina Amano." Hina said.

"And my name is Second Lieutenant Tenya Iida." The praetor introduced himself before he activates his boosters and charges towards Ragna and Hina.

Meanwhile, Luke swings his sword vertically at Nolan, who deflects it by swinging his right scimitar horizontally. He swings his left scimitar diagonally downwards at Luke, who dodges it by turning to the side and he delivers a punch to Nolan's face with his right fist. Nolan dodges his fist by rolling over the rooftiles to his right and Luke delivers another vertical strike at him. Nolan blocks the attack by crossing his scimitars together and he successfully pushes Luke back.

As Luke stumbles backwards, Gray runs over to him and delivers several punches across his face. After Gray delivers one final punch to his gut, Luke backs away and snarls at Gray and Nolan.

"Enough of this!" Luke shouted. "BURNING HAVOC!"

Luke jumps into the air and swings his sword onto where Gray and Nolan are standing. As Luke lands and his sword made contact with the rooftiles, a huge circle suddenly appears beneath his feet and a huge whirlwind of fire burst up.

When the flames die down however, Luke looks up and is surprised to see that Gray, Nolan and even Wendy and Carla have seemingly vanished.

Suddenly, Nolan appears about several meters behind Luke, much to his surprise.

"Right. I've enough of you too." Nolan said. Luke whirls about and tries to swing his sword at Nolan, but he suddenly came to a halt. He looks over his shoulder and is shocked to see his sword stuck inside a wall of ice created by Gray. Gray smirks as he stands behind it.

"FANG…" Nolan swings his right scimitar horizontally, firing a blast of purple energy at Luke. "BLADE…" Nolan now swings his other scimitar vertically upwards to fire another blast of purple energy at him. "HAVOC!" Nolan finishes performing his attack by swinging both of his scimitars downwards, firing two more blasts of purple energy at his opponent.

Luke pulls his sword harder and manages to break it out of the ice. He manages to deflect the first horizontal blast from Nolan. But the second vertical blast hits Luke on his left arm, causing him to yell in pain. The two blasts from Nolan later hits Luke on both shoulders and they send him flying through the air. While still in mid-air, Carla carries Wendy up and above Luke.

"SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!" Wendy shouted as she enlarges her cheeks and fires a huge blast of wind onto Luke, sending him onto the rooftiles and causing him to yell in pain as he is consumed by the whirlwind.

Carla releases Wendy, who turns around and lands right on top of Luke's chest. Luke grunted before he looks up to see the Sky Dragon Slayer standing above him with a glare.

"Sorry fon Fabre. This is for your own good." Wendy said before she lifts her foot above Luke's face.

"Let go of my lieutenant!" A voice shouted. Suddenly, a woman dressed in white flies towards them while spinning in a purple tornado. She knocks Nolan and Gray out of the way as she flies pass them and she heads towards Wendy and Luke.

Wendy gasps as she turns around and sees the advancing woman. She quickly gets off Luke and thrusts her hands at her.

"SKY DRAGON'S TORNADO!" Wendy shouted as she fires two large tornadoes out from her hands. The tornadoes stop the woman from advancing but she kept spinning. Wendy grits her teeth as she and the woman kept pushing against each other with their tornadoes. The woman soon inches closer to Wendy.

"I got you!" Carla cried as she flies over to Wendy, wraps her tail around her body and gets her out of the way. As Carla flies away with Wendy, she sees the woman breaks through the Sky Dragon Slayer's tornadoes. Wendy lets out a sigh of exhaustion.

The woman came to a halt and lands on the rooftiles many meters away from Luke.

"There you are, you lousy second lieutenant! Where have you been?!" Luke shouted furiously at the woman.

"I was doing the paperwork you order me to do for you, until I sensed that you are in danger." The woman said as she slowly gets up.

"Well you should have come here within a few seconds when I was!" Luke scolded as he slams his fist onto the rooftiles. "Now pick me up already!" The woman sighs before she turns around and walks over to her superior.

"Sheesh, this guy really needs to calm down." Gray murmured. Nolan nods his head as he stood beside him.

As they watch the woman pull Luke up, Gray and Nolan can see that the woman has long red hair, blue eyes and wears a white officer hat with white angelic wings, a white uniform with gold highlights, a black sash around her waist, black gloves, black boots and a white cape draped over her shoulders. She also has a floating golden device that seems to have a single eye on it and shaped like a shield.

"Now stop standing around and let's deal with them together!" Luke chided the woman as he holds up his sword and prepares to fight Gray and Nolan.

"Right." The woman replied before she holds up her red sword in front of her and gets into her fighting stance.

"Come on, Nolan." Gray said as he holds up his clenched fists.

"Yeah." Nolan replied as he holds up his scimitars.

Luke chuckled and said to them, "Get ready to face me and my second lieutenant, Tsubaki Yayoi!"

The four dash towards each other. Gray dodges a vertical slash from Luke before he throws his right fist at him. Luke jumps back and Gray slams his left fist on his right palm.

"ICE MAKE: LANCE!" Gray thrusts his hands at Luke and fires multiple ice lances at him. Luke delivers a series of strikes to slash through the lances. When Gray finished firing the lances, Luke jumps up, throws his sword back and prepares to deliver an overhead strike on him.

"ICE MAKE: SHIELD!" Gray shouted as he slams his hands on the ground and creates a wall of ice in front of him.

"SLAG ASSAULT!" Luke yelled as he performs a somersault and his sword is illuminated with yellow light. As Luke throws his sword down and made contact with Gray's shield, it shatters the wall of ice into pieces. Gray looks stunned for a brief moment before Luke's sword delivers a huge amount of energy bursting from the ground when it made contact with the rooftiles. It sends Gray flying through the air. Luke smirks as he leaps after his opponent.

Tsubaki delivers several swift strikes at Nolan, who barely manages to keep up with her attacks. After blocking another strike from her, Tsubaki delivers a thrust and manages to slash across Nolan's right shoulder. Nolan yelps in pain as he falls down on his right knee.

Carla flies over to Tsubaki from behind while carrying Wendy with her tail. She tosses Wendy over to Tsubaki and the Sky Dragon Slayer performs a somersault.

"SKY DRAGON'S CLAW!" Wendy shouted. She brings down her right leg and fires a large gust of wind at Tsubaki.

Tsubaki whirls about and thrusts her floating device at Wendy. The floating device opens itself up, revealing it to be a book. After flipping several pages, the book forms a circular barrier that blocks Wendy's attack. As soon as the device closes itself, Tsubaki leaps into the air and prepares to swing her sword horizontally at Wendy. Wendy gasps and she aims her feet at Tsubaki. When Tsubaki swings her sword, Wendy lands her feet onto the blade of her weapon and pushes her opponent back.

Tsubaki and Wendy both perform backward flips in the air before landing back on the roof safely. Nolan dashes over to Tsubaki from behind. As Tsubaki turns around and swings her sword horizontally, it magically turns into a whip and it coils around Nolan's right scimitar. Nolan came to a halt and tries to pull his scimitar out of Tsubaki's grip. But Tsubaki stays firm as she successfully pulls Nolan over and tosses him into the air.

Wendy rolls out of the way while Nolan performs a flip and lands where the Sky Dragon Slayer originally stood. The two dash over to Tsubaki. Tsubaki swipes her left arm horizontally through the air. The floating device flies over to Wendy and opens itself up, sending multiple pages at the Sky Dragon Slayer. Wendy yelps as the pages wrap around her. When Nolan reaches her, he delivers a vertical strike at Tsubaki. Tsubaki dodges the attack by rolling over to her left and delivers a swift kick to the bottom of his chin. As Nolan backs away, Tsubaki gets up and as she turns around, she swings her cape across his face and thrusts her sword at the left side of his lower torso. Nolan yells in pain before Tsubaki somersaults into the air and delivers a kick down onto the top of his head, sending him collapsing onto the rooftiles.

"Captain Mathias!" Wendy cried in horror before she finally unleashes a huge amount of wind from her body to break free from the papers. However, the floating device spins around frantically like a buzzsaw and flies over to her. Wendy turns to the side to dodge the device. When she sees it flying back towards her, Wendy turns around as she swings her hand.

"SKY DRAGON'S WAVE WIND!" Wendy shouted as she dashes past the device and creates a huge whirlwind around it. The device stops spinning and it is sent flying around in circles by the whirlwind.

Wendy turns around and sees Tsubaki ready to bring her sword down onto Nolan's head. As the whirlwind dies down and the device plummet through the air, Wendy leaps up to catch it and she quickly tosses it over to Tsubaki. The device knocks against Tsubaki's forehead. Tsubaki drops her sword and grabs the sides of her head in pain as she staggers backwards.

"Ugh! Agh! Jin?!" Tsubaki groaned.

Nolan looks up and takes the opportunity to get back up and turns his right scimitar around. He yells as he delivers an uppercut to the bottom of Tsubaki's chin with the bottom of the hilt of his scimitar. Tsubaki backs away again and she briefly looks back to see Nolan jumping into the air and delivering a spinning kick across the left side of her forehead. Tsubaki turns to the side as she falls onto the rooftiles. She grits her teeth as she tries to get up, but two seconds later, she rolls her eyes back and collapses.

"Hey, wake up Tsubaki!" Luke shouted at Tsubaki as he turns away from Gray for a moment. "We got a fight to finish!"

"Forget it. She won't be waking up for a while." Nolan said as he twirls his right scimitar and gets back into his fighting stance.

"Then I knew she is absolutely worthless! Always letting me do all the work by myself! That no good leech!" Luke shouted.

"Is this how you view your subordinates who pledge their loyalty to you?!" Gray scolded.

"Who are you to lecture me, you stupid mage?!" Luke snapped as he points his sword at Gray. "As a lieutenant, it is my duty to make sure every knight keeps fighting for our cause! And any knight who cannot bring back glory to us has no worth at all! Just like that pathetic Mala Makra!"

"Then it's no wonder why you don't have any real friends! You're just a stuck-up, whiny jerk who only thinks for himself!" Wendy cried.

"Somebody needs to teach you a lesson about caring for others." Gray said.

"SHUT UP! I don't need my worthless second lieutenant to help me! I'll finish you off quickly!" Luke yelled before he charges over to Gray and gets ready to attack again. He swings his sword vertically at Gray, who dodges it by moving to the side. Luke now swings his sword horizontally at him, and Gray ducks down and moves forward. As he gets up and turns back to Luke, he grabs him by his right upper arm with his left hand.

"Huh?!" Luke said dumbfounded as Gray throws him over to the edge of the roof. Luke turns around and sees Gray running over to him to deliver a roundhouse kick to his chest. "HUH-UWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

The kick sends Luke falling off from the roof, and he plummets through the air until Gray, Wendy, Carla, and Nolan could hear a loud thud.

Gray picks up Luke's helmet and walks over to the edge of the roof. He snorts as he sees Luke lying on the road below with his arms and legs splayed out.

"So uncivilized." Gray remarked before he throws the helmet down onto Luke. Luke groans in pain as he tries to get up. But as soon as he lifts his head up, the helmet knocks onto his forehead. Luke briefly rolls his eyes and wobbles his head before he passes out.

Hina inches away from the now unconscious praetor. She turns back to Ragna and Tenya as they clash their sword and left leg against each other. Hina narrows her eyes as she turns around in a circle while swinging her arms.

"Water Storm!" Hina shouted as she takes a step forward and thrusts her hands, firing a blast of water from her palms and towards Tenya's head.

Tenya does a backward flip to push Ragna and his sword back. He lands back on the ground and ducks down to dodge Hina's blast of water. He crouches down for a moment before he activates the boosters on his legs and makes a mad dash towards Hina.

"Water floor!" Hina quickly ducks down and slams her hands on the ground, unleashing huge amounts of water across the floor and towards Tenya. Tenya dashes through the water with great speed. Hina closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, and just as Tenya is only a few inches away from her, a large tentacle grabs him by coiling around his lower torso and pulls him up into the air.

Tenya looks down and sees several other liquid tentacles flailing around from the pool of water Hina had created. The tentacle tosses Tenya into the air and another one swiftly grabs him. The tentacle swings Tenya over to the side of the building where Noel, Jin and Guy are currently on top of.

Noel, Jin and Guy stumble for a moment as Tenya crashes into the wall of the building. The tentacle proceeds to drag Tenya across the walls of the other buildings. Guy yelps as he falls onto his back while Noel and Jin try to maintain their balance.

As Noel falls on a knee, Jin pulls his sword back and tries to thrust it at her head. Noel holds up her left revolver to block it and she aims her other revolver at him. As soon as Noel pulls the trigger, Jin turns to the side to dodge the bullet. He turns back to Noel and grabs her by her face. Noel gasps as Jin freezes her between two ice spikes. After removing his hand, Jin delivers an upward vertical slash with his sword. The slash breaks Noel free from Jin's ice and sends her flying into the air. Noel screams in pain. Jin jumps back and swings his sword horizontally again to summon a gigantic wolf head made of ice. Before Noel could land on the rooftiles, the head collides against her back. As the head smashes into pieces, the impact sends Noel rolling over the rooftiles.

Meanwhile, the tentacle tosses Tenya into the air again and another one grabs him. The tentacle swings down and slams Tenya onto the ground on his face. As Hina now feels exhausted, she removes her hands from the floor and sits down on the ground with her head lowered. The tentacles go back down into the pool of water and it vanishes. Ragna runs over to Hina and places his hand on her shoulder.

"Hina, are you okay?" Ragna asked in concern. Hina could only respond with a nod. Ragna smiled at her. "You did good. Now stay back."

As Ragna gets up, so did Tenya. He turns his head to see the praetor getting back up from his feet and adjusts his glasses, which now has a crack on its left lens. Ragna and Tenya get into their battle stances and a few seconds later, the two dash towards each other.

Tenya jumps up and delivers several swift kicks at Ragna, who blocks all of them with his sword. Tenya now delivers an overhead kick above Ragna's head. But to his surprise, Ragna swiftly grabs his leg and tosses him to the ground behind him. Tenya places his hands on the floor to prevent his face from making contact with the floor. As Ragna releases his leg, Tenya performs a somersault before he lands back on the ground.

"RECIPRO BURST!" Tenya shouted as he whirls about, activates his boosters and flies over to Ragna. When he got near him, Tenya performs a backward flip and delivers a kick to the bottom of Ragna's chin. After performing his flip, Tenya looks down at Ragna as he staggers back and delivers a horizontal kick across his face.

Back on the rooftop, Noel groans as she slowly gets herself up. However, Jin delivers a kick to the bottom of her chin, sending her falling onto the rooftiles on her back. Jin stomps his foot on her chest, causing Noel to gasp in pain.

"Hmph. Is that all you got? Then why do you bother wasting our time? You're just an obstacle." Jin said coldly. Noel widens her eyes in horror as Jin unsheathes his sword from his scabbard. After removing it, Jin holds it up in front of his face and closes his eyes.

Noel tries to move. But she couldn't. Jin is pinning her hard on the ground for her to get up, and she does not have the strength to carry her revolvers anymore as much as she wants to.

" _Is this it? Am I going to die?"_ Noel thought sadly. She closes her eyelids and a few tears manage to escape through them. _"I…I can't die…I don't want to die…Makoto…Medea…Emmanuel…Team Natsu…Brave Vesperia…they are all counting on me…"_

" _Noel, can you hear me?"_

Noel opens her eyes again when she heard the familiar voice inside her head.

"Mavis?" She murmured.

" _Don't be afraid…you still have me…"_

"Of course." Noel's eyes softened.

" _Come Noel. Let us embrace each other…and defeat him together."_

"Yes…Mother…" Noel manages to crack a wan smile. Jin narrows his eyes as he looks down at her.

"Trying to latch onto whatever hope you have left? Pathetic." Jin said, annoyed by the smile on his opponent's face. He turns his sword around and without saying another word, he brings it down onto Noel's face.

But just before the tip of his blade could hit her, Noel's body illuminates brightly with white light. A huge amount of white energy pushes Jin off her body and sends him flying in the air. Jin performs a backflip before he lands on the rooftiles safely. As he looks up, Jin widens his eyes and drops his jaw.

Noel's body rose in the air. The body adjusts itself to face Jin and the light dies down. As Noel's body lowers down, her feet didn't touch the rooftiles. Instead, she was floating. Jin sees that Noel also now dons a completely new look. Her long blonde hair remains the same, but her eyes have now turn from green to blue. She now wears what appears to be a white and blue horned tiara around her head, as well as a white, black and blue armor that exposes most of her lower torso. The white armor around her arms and blue sleeves have two large blue blades and has eight more blades floating behind her. Her legs are also dressed in white armor. Her kneecaps are now black, and her lower legs are shaped like white blades.

"What…What are you?!" Jin asked with his eyes wide and shaking. The woman replied with a mixture of two different voices.

"I am Noel Vermillion. I am Mavis Vermillion." The woman swipes her right arm across her eyes before she slightly lifts her right leg up and gets into her fighting stance. "We are _**Mu-12**_!"

Jin grits his teeth. He gets up and dashes towards Mu with his sword in his right hand.

When he is near her, Jin delivers several horizontal and diagonal swings at Mu. Mu swiftly blocks all of them with her arm blades until she sees an opening. Before Jin could react, Mu successfully kicks him in the gut with her left knee. She spins around and swings her right leg horizontally to kick Jin away from her. Mu now swings her left arm across, sending all her floating blades to deliver a diagonal strike at Jin, slashing him across his chest. Jin yells in pain while he flies through mid-air. He places his hand on the rooftiles and performs a backflip. As soon as he lands on his feet, he swings his sword vertically upwards.

"FROST BITE!" He shouted as several ice spikes rose from the rooftiles and move towards Mu.

Mu easily slashes off the ice spikes by simply swinging her left leg horizontally. She flies over to Jin and delivers a powerful punch to his gut. Jin gasps in pain for only a second before Mu throws her other fist and delivers an uppercut to the bottom of his chin. Mu delivers several more punches across his cheeks before she finishes it by deliver a direct punch to his face. The impact sends him rolling over the rooftiles.

When he finds himself lying down, Jin snarls as he looks back at Mu. He gets up and prepares to unleash his strongest move.

"Purgatory…" Jin turns around before stabbing his sword into the rooftiles. "Ice night!"

Suddenly, multiple ice spikes rose beneath Mu and freezes her. Jin closes his eyes as the ice illuminates brightly in white light until the ice shatters into pieces. Jin lets out a sigh of relief. His opponent is defeated.

Or so he thought.

"Blades forged in the pits of destruction…"

Jin gasped. He looks back and sees Mu using her floating blades to disperse the icy air. Mu throws her head back as she spreads out her arms.

"Shields cast in the chasm of despair!"

As Mu throws her head and swings her arms forward, the floating blades fly over to Jin. Four of them float above Jin while the others go below him, forming a diamond-shaped barrier around him.

"What…what is this?!" Jin cried as he slams his fist against the barrier, but it was no use.

As she lowers her left arm, Mu lifts her right arm up and shouted, "GOD SLAYING…" She brings down her right arm and points her finger at Jin. "SWORD!"

Jin could only scream in terror as seven gigantic swords rain down upon him. The eighth and final sword falls directly above his diamond-shaped dungeon and crashes him. When the smoke is clear, the swords and barrier had disappeared and Jin is now lying on the roof unconscious.

Mu sighs heavily as her body briefly illuminates in white light. When the light dies down, Noel reappears and back in her normal appearance. She falls on her knees and collapses on the side of her head. As Noel breathed heavily, her lips form into a smile.

"We did it, mother…we did it…" Noel murmured.

"I am proud of you, daughter…" Mavis responded. Noel lets out one last blissful sigh before she passes out.

Guy, who had been sitting on the roof and watching the entire fight from a distance, could only blinked his eyes and stared stupidly after both combatants have fallen into an unconscious state.

"What just happened?"

"Boo!" Wendy said cheerfully as she leans her head forward to Guy from behind.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Guy screamed and crawls away in fear as soon as he lays his eyes on Wendy and Carla. "P-P-P-Please! Don't kill me!"

"Oh, don't worry. We mages don't kill." Wendy smiled at Guy. "So, you can just relax."

"Sweet dreams." Carla added.

"Huh?" Guy briefly said. With grins on their faces, Wendy and Carla pull their fist and paw back and punch Guy right in the face to knock him out.

Back on the ground, Ragna swings his sword horizontally at Tenya, who manages to evade it by rolling to the side. He uses his boosters to fly over to Ragna. But to his shock, Ragna swiftly grabs him by his head and aims the curved tip of his sword at his face. He thrusts his sword and knocks his face with it. As Ragna releases him, Tenya is send flying through the air. He adjusts himself and lands his feet onto the wall of the building behind him. He tries to fly over to Ragna again but suddenly, several ice spikes came raining down onto Tenya's back, stabbing into his armor and sending him falling onto the ground.

Gray jumps down from the top of the buildings behind Ragna and quickly places his foot on top of Tenya's back to pin him down.

"Just be glad that those spikes didn't pierce deeper into your skin." Gray said to Tenya with a smirk.

"Good job, Gray. I can see you and Nolan had dealt with that lieutenant right there." Ragna said to Gray as he gestures to Luke who is still lying on the ground motionless.

"Yup." Gray replied to Ragna before turning to Hina who is resting against the wall of the building. "Hina! Is she-"

"Don't worry. She's exhausted. But she'll live." Ragna replied just as Nolan jumps down from the building to join him and Gray. "Where's Noel and Guy right now?"

"Wendy and Carla had taken Guy out. And now they are taking care of Noel, who passed out after defeating Guy's second lieutenant." Nolan explained before looking down at Tenya, who struggles to get up. "So, who is he? Another lieutenant?"

"His name is Tenya Iida." Ragna said.

"Sophie didn't mention him back in the mission briefing. Did he say his rank?" Gray asked.

"He said he is a second lieutenant." Ragna replied.

"Strange. Nolan and I dealt with a second lieutenant as well, and she's paired with Luke." Gray said.

"Wait. If Guy and Luke had different people as their second lieutenants, then who is Tenya paired with?" Nolan asked in confusion.

 _Tue rei ze croa riou tue ze_

 _Croa riou ze tue riou rei neu riou ze_

All the sudden, a beautiful voice sang throughout the street, and Nolan, Gray and Ragna felt every nerve and muscle in their bodies have stopped functioning. Wendy and Carla also froze as they kneel beside Noel on top of the building. None of them could even close their eyes and move their jaw as they stayed completely still in place.

 _Va rei ze tue neu tue riou tue croa_

 _Riou rei croa riou ze rei va ze rei_

The only person who is still able to move is Tenya, who finally gets up, sending Gray falling onto the ground on his back. Tenya turns his head to the direction of the source of the voice and walks over to another praetor in grey who carries a spear-like staff in her hand.

"Reporting for duty, Lieutenant Tear Grants." Tenya said as he bows to his superior.

"All the enemies are frozen, Tenya. Kill them while we have the chance." Tear ordered behind her helmet.

"Yes, ma'am." Tenya said. As he walks over to Gray, Tear continued singing.

 _Va neu va rei va neu va ze rei_

 _Croa riou croa neu tue rei croa riou ze rei va_

 _Rei va neu croa tue rei rei_

Gray could only watch in horror as Tenya now stands above him. Tenya lifts his foot above Gray's face, ready to crash his head like an eggshell.

"Embrace death, filthy mage." Tenya said flatly.

But just before Tenya could bring his foot down, a net suddenly flies over to him from behind and wraps itself all over him. Tenya yelps as he loses his balance and falls to the side.

"What?!" Tear cried incredulously as she whirls about to see Mei and Sheena standing behind her in the distance.

"Sorry we're a bit late. But the cavalry has arrived!" Mei proclaimed as she twirls her capture gun around in her right hand.

"Leave our friends alone." Sheena said icily to Tear as she holds up her purple paper.

"That's impossible! How can you guys resist my singing?" Tear asked dumbfounded.

"Ear plugs!" Mei replied with a grin as she points her finger at the device placed snuggly inside her ear. "It helps cancels any type of ambient noise except your own thoughts! My only regret is that if I had known more about you, I could have made more of these before our invasion."

"And now, it's time for you to deal with me." Sheena said to Tear.

Tear growls as she holds up her staff in front of her. She and Sheena yell as they charge towards each other.

"Go get her, Sheena!" Mei cheered as she pumps her fist up in the air. Suddenly, Tenya, who had gotten out from the net, flies over to her with his boosters. Mei turns to the side in time to dodge Tenya, who came to a sliding halt before turning back to her.

"You will pay dearly for what you did to me." Tenya said coldly to Mei.

"Sheesh, talk about a cold shoulder." Mei cringed as she holds up her hands in front of her.

"Enough fooling around!" Tenya barked as he activates his boosters and flies over to Mei again.

Mei remains calm as she activates two long metallic bracers out from the bottom of her backpack. The bracers swiftly stab into the ground and carries Mei up in the air. Tenya widens his eyes in shock and fails to stop in time as his leg knocks against the right bracer. Tenya finds himself tripping over the bracer and falling flat on his face.

"How do you like my hydraulic bracers?" Mei asked Tenya enthusiastically. "After my experience with your friends back at the Temple of Lightning, I created this baby to help me evade any enemy that comes near me!"

Tenya growls as he quickly gets back up. He turns to Mei and uses his boosters to fly over to her. Mei dodges him by moving herself to the side with her bracers and she aims her capture gun at him. She fires a net at Tenya and it wraps itself all over his body.

"Not again!" Tenya cried as he deactivates his boosters and struggles to break free. He finds himself plummeting through the air and crashing onto the ground below.

"And what do you think of my capture gun?" Mei asked as she holds up her gun. "It's a special device to capture enemies like you-"

"SHUT UP!" Tenya shouted furiously as he gets up and removes the net off him. He uses his boosters to fly up to Mei again. Mei swiftly activates her hydraulic bracers to bring her back down to the ground.

"Not this time!" Tenya yelled as he briefly deactivates his boosters and stop where Mei originally was. "RECIPRO…" Tenya lifts his right leg up. "BURST!" As he brings his leg down, he activates his booster again and somersaults continuously as he falls his way to Mei.

After putting away her hydraulic bracers, Mei uses her hover soles to move to the side to evade Tenya's attack. As Tenya lands back on the ground, his leg slams onto the floor where Mei originally stood and leaves behind a huge crack. Mei draws out her bow and pulls an arrow back as she aims at Tenya.

"Say cheese!" Mei said before she fires an arrow at Tenya. As the arrow goes near him, Tenya swiftly grabs it with his left hand before getting up from the ground.

"Do you honestly think that will-" Tenya gets cut off when the tip of the arrow explodes, releasing huge amounts of smoke in front of his face. Tenya coughed heavily as he drops the arrow and moves forward. But when he steps out from the smoke, a pair of wires suddenly wrap around his body and he looks up to see that they came from Mei's blasters around the bottom of her chest. As Mei activates her jet pack, she jumps up and aims the bottom of her hover soles at Tenya's face.

"NO!" Tenya cried in horror.

"BOOTS TO THE HEAD!" Mei screamed ecstatically as she pulls herself over to Tenya and kicks him directly in his face to knock him out.

Meanwhile, Tear thrusts her staff at Sheena, who evades it by turning to the side. Sheena quickly places her purple paper onto Tear's helmet and jumps away from her. She swiftly made several hand gestures while Tear holds her staff up and cried, "ENHANCE CAST!"

As Tear's body turns green, multiple papers appear around her and explode. However, when the smoke is cleared, Tear remains standing and her body turns back to its normal colors.

"Nice trick. Let me show you mine." Tear said before she swings her staff horizontally. "Éclair de Larmes!"

Sheena gasps as she sees a large X forming beneath her feet. She leaps out of the way in time before huge amounts of energy burst upwards from the X. When Sheena lands on the ground, Tear runs over to her and swings her staff across her left cheek. She thrusts her staff into Sheena's abdomen, causing her to bend forward. Tear swings her staff vertically upwards to the bottom of Sheena's chin, causing her to back away. Finally, Tear jumps back and finishes it off by swinging her staff horizontally and fires a blast of white energy at her. "Nocturnal Light!"

The blast hits Sheena and sends her flying through the air. But while in midair, Sheena recovers and performs a backwards flip before she lands on the ground safely.

"CYCLONE SEAL!" Sheena gets up and throws several papers at Tear. Tear jumps away, but she is surprised to see the papers flying around her in circles. When the papers illuminate in green, Tear screams as they create a ball of wind around her. When the papers disperse, Tear falls and lands on the ground on her back. She gets herself back up with her staff, but Sheena dashes over to her and thrusts her right palm into her stomach. Tear gasps in pain as she bends forward, and Sheena kicks her face with her left knee. As Tear backs away, Sheena jumps up and delivers a kick to her chest.

Tear stumbles back and slams her staff onto the ground to bring herself to a halt. When she looks up, Sheena throws a purple paper onto her helmet and places her fingers together.

"Trying the same trick again? It's hopeless!" Tear cried as she holds up her staff. "ENHANCE CAST!"

Tear turns her body green again to protect herself from the oncoming attack. However, instead of doing the same spell as before, Sheena shouted, "I call upon the hammer of godly light!"

"What?" Tear said puzzled. Suddenly, a magical triangle with a circle on each corner appears beneath her feet. Tear tries to leap away, but to her surprise, she slammed against an invisible barrier and finds herself landing back on the ground. "No! I'm trapped!"

"I summon thee…" Sheena points her hand at Tear and finished, "VOLT'S LIGHTNING!"

A huge bolt of lightning came down from the sky and strikes onto Tear. Tear screams in agony as she felt her entire body being electrocuted. A few seconds later, the bolt of lightning stops and the triangle below Tear's feet disappears. Tear wobbles about as she carelessly drops her staff. She collapses on her knees and her arms hang limply at her sides.

Sheena walks over to Tear and removes her helmet, revealing her long light brown hair that goes all the way down to the back of her waist and a bang that covers her left eye. She looks up at Sheena, showing off her right blue eye.

"I've…underestimated you." Tear said barely above a whisper. Sheena stares wordlessly at her for a moment before she knocks her out by slamming her helmet against her forehead.

As Tear collapses, Sheena tosses her helmet away. She looks up and throws several papers into the air. The papers fly over to Gray, Ragna, Nolan, Hina, Wendy, Carla, and Noel. As they float above them, Sheena places her fingers together and said, "Healing Seal!"

The papers illuminate in white light and disappear. Gray, Ragna, Nolan, Wendy and Carla soon find themselves being able to move their bodies again. Noel and Hina also groan as they groggily open their eyes, recovering from their exhaustion. Mei flies down to Hina's side with her jetpack and attends to her.

After Gray gets himself up from the ground, he smiles at Sheena and gives her a thumbs-up. Sheena smiles back at him before bowing her head.

* * *

 **Sovereign: I would like to thank Amanny, AquaBluey, Thaliak and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for reviewing, favoriting, following, and checking out my story. Thanks!**


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